For those of you close to our family you have a pretty good understanding of the fight Amari has had to endure in his short life. For the people reading this that don't know what a miracle this boy is I'll give you a backstory.

My name is Josalyn and I have 3 children. I have 2 daughters and an almost 4 years old son who's name is Amari. I spent my adult years working with both children and adults with disabilities until life shifted and Amari crashed the party. Amari was born via an emergency C-section in December of 2021 at just 27 weeks gestation. I had been told at 15 weeks that I should terminate the pregnancy due to a membrane separation and partial placental abruption, and that his chance of making it to a point in which he would have any “quality of life” was near impossible. I was told that he would likely never walk, talk, smile or eat on his own. After losing my little brother just weeks before this, I was not willing to accept the fact that I would also lose my son. So I decided to fight for him completely unaware that the fight would continue far beyond his birth.

Amari spent 89 days in the NICU, away from his siblings, family and the world before coming home. In June of 2024 at 2 years old he was diagnosed with level 3 autism. He is non verbal, has PICA, very high sensory and emotional regulation needs, and ABSOLUTELY NO sense of danger. Amari elopes at any given chance and craves the stimulation from outside in addition to any water.

Amari struggles to stay regulated and safe while trying to participate in day to day activities that for neurotypical children come easily. After over a year of fighting his doctors and insurance we were blessed to be able to provide Amari with a special needs safety bed “Cubby Bed” to ensure his safety overnight with no risk of elopement.

He is a very energetic, wild, and loving little boy but his access to the outside world has been greatly restricted due to his disability and danger to himself. Simple things like family walks, going to the store, playground or school are often not accessible to him because of his eloping.

Amari and I are working with Chelsea Newcomb of Freedom Labradors to match Amari with his own service dog. This service dog will be trained by Chelsea and be able to accompany Amari giving him access to many of the things that are currently not possible for our family. Amari's dog will be trained to sense when he needs help regulating and intervene whether it be through physical touch or keeping him out of danger. Amari and the dog will be tethered together outside, giving him the ability to go places un-restrained in a stroller. Amari and our family will work with Chelsea and Common Sense K-9 training throughout the training process. They will continue to work together throughout the dog's lifetime of support, adding and adjusting to fit Amari's needs over time.

Since Amari's birth and diagnosis I have been unable to work full time as his therapies and services total more than 35 hours a week. If you know me then you know I'm used to juggling 70 hours a week as well as my kids and I'm not one to put my private information out there or to ask for help. Amari is with me full-time and although his sisters are extremely helpful and vigilant my head must be on a constant swivel to ensure his safety. Amari has taught me that some things are not obtainable without a fight and unfortunately this is one of them. There are many sources that I have looked into and am working on but many lists are years long and some without guarantees. In the last 12 months Amari has eloped 4 times in a multitude of different environments. He was let out of the yard by a cousin on Easter and wandered down the road nearly getting hit by a car. He eloped from his stroller and wandered off at a Halloween event with over 100 other children, and knows that the beautiful place he lives is surrounded by water. Despite the constant efforts by myself and his caregivers, the danger to himself is constant. Large crowds, fairs, beaches, his sister's sports events and many other things are often missed out on due to the fear of elopement and him being unable to self-regulate. I am asking for any donation big or small to help give this boy a chance to safely live and have access to things in the world that so many of us take for granted.

I want to thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you for helping us give Amari the ability to live his life to the fullest and show that nothing is impossible with determination and a fight!