Train Scout To Be a Superhero Service Dog!

Have you ever met a superhero with an invisible cape? It is my hope and prayer that through this platform, $20,000 can be donated in the honor of my friend and mentor, Coach Tony Deller! His superhero doesn't have a cape, but instead is draped in a beautiful coat of fur and comes with a collar and leash. This handsome superhero is a German Shepard named Scout. He was selected specifically to meet the needs of Coach and is already in training to make life easier for my friend. Tony is in need of using a service dog after a lifetime of doing difficult things on his own. Now is the time for a superhero of his own to enter the scene. And, with your help, this can be done without the financial burden on the Deller Family.

You see, Coach is actually one of my personal heroes. My name is Jenny King, and the very first time I saw Tony was at the little league field dressed in his coach's uniform leaving the baseball field. I was in awe of this man who was maneuvering a wheelchair between the fences of the ball field all while training up a young group of boys in how to catch, throw, and hit a baseball. Right then and there I knew Coach Deller was a special man, and I secretly hoped that my son, Jett, would be blessed to be a part of his team one day.

Well, not only was Jett blessed to have Coach in his life, I was too! This man embraced our family and grew to love us unconditionally. I was often confused about directions to a game location or how to sign up for something important, and Coach was so patient with me. As a new sports mom, I had a learning curve and didn't want to strike out, so I called Coach often to ensure I knew what I was doing so that his #0 would be prepared for his best play. Years later when my dad fell ill, it was Coach that called me the most to check in and see how he could pray for my failing father and our family. He was always there for us. When Jett would get hit hard by a pitch, it was Coach waiting for him to take first base where he'd be sure to check on him and then encourage him to preserve. That's been instilled in Jett through many coaches now that he's a senior, but it was Coach Deller that defined the word, 'perseverance' for me. You see, you will never witness Coach complain, murmur, or grumble. But, boy oh boy, does he have good reason to do so.

Tony was diagnosed at age three with CMT, also known as Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease. CMT is a disease of the peripheral nerves that control muscles that can cause progressive loss of function and sensation in the hands, arms, legs, and feet. This inherited, rare disease affects one out of 2,500 people, and Tony's symptoms have progressively gotten worse throughout his entire life. And, now at the age of 51, Coach needs his own superhero to help him with daily tasks.

Throughout Tony's childhood, he needed to find ways to adjust and adapt; to push through. While young, he wore leg braces to help keep his balance while walking. As a teen, to just stand and walk short distances, Coach needed knee-ankle-foot orthotics. In high school, he required a wheelchair to assist him with getting to classes promptly. When he needed support in taking notes and gripping his pencil he turned to typing so that he could keep pace with his classmates. Coach even had to operate a car differently so that he could drive safely. At the young age of 15, he learned how to use hand controls so that he could operate the gas and brake pedals at the right time. Today, he has a van designed to meet the challenges of being wheelchair-bound, another grand expense that comes with this disease.

All of these struggles still didn't keep Coach from traveling the world as he worked in the IT department with Amway. In this position, he was blessed to be able to use his keyboarding skills for over 27 years. During his time at Amway, he met and married Tammy, and together have raised two wonderful children, Abby and Austin. The Deller Family has always been heavily involved in sports, theater, church, and supporting the community in a variety of ways. Their kids are now in college and on career journeys, so they are not home as much to assist their dad. This is another reason why inviting Scout into their lives is so important at this time.

It was through the love of baseball that brought Coach into our lives. Tony coached baseball in the West Michigan area, much within Caledonia, for the past eight years. He began coaching his son within the CBSL Little League. For six years, he coached travel baseball with Sluggers Sports Academy, which is where I got to know Coach and his family best. Just recently, he rounded out his coaching career with the West Michigan Mavericks travel baseball team. What I loved about my son having Tony as a coach was his ability to connect so well with the players. He lives his life out loud by leading with compassion and kindness. He wasn't able to participate in play like other coaches can due to his physical limitations, but the way in which he communicated was always with respect and encouragement; another characteristic that set this coach apart from the rest. In addition to baseball, Tony could also be found on the basketball court! He coached 5th/6th-grade boys basketball and even took on a team of 7th/8th graders to coach a second Cal Thunder basketball team as the first team was full. You see, where there was a need, Tony was often the one to fill it. He is so generous!

Can you see why he's a man that demonstrates grit and a never-give-up attitude!? Well, after Coach transitioned from his manual wheelchair to his power chair five years ago, I took note of some changes and even asked Jett to pay special attention to Coach at practices and during games to assist him when he needed help. The muscle weakness due to CMT was becoming more obvious. His dexterity in his hands was making it difficult for Coach to hold the lineup. I noticed opening snacks and getting a drink, something I don't think twice about were becoming frustrating tasks and my heart broke witnessing this. Today, Coach is even finding it challenging to hold long conversations due to the partial paralysis of his vocal cords. Coughing and a crackling of his voice are a common thing now. His breathing has even been negatively impacted by CMT. He is working to communicate with his hands stills via texting, since the voice-to-text isn't as simple. Unfortunately, texting is also cumbersome due to the dexterity in his hands continuing to deteriorate.

From being heavily involved in his church, community, school district, coaching, and traveling, you can see that this is a man that rises to the challenge and doesn't easily let his restrictions limit him. The example of how to live life with integrity, perseverance, and transparency is nothing but inspirational!

As Tony's body continues to decline though, it will be imperative for him to have more support and special modifications. Preparing for the use of a service dog will ensure that Coach has a better opportunity to continue living a life of fulfillment. And, this is where you all can help! Because insurance only supports Coach with durable medical equipment, Scout and all the expenses wrapped up in training a dog to serve in this capacity solely rests within the Deller Family. Scout is now 13 months old and being trained out of state to meet Coach's specific needs. He and the Deller Family have been bonding when Scout visits them back in Michigan. The next time he returns home is this February. What a blessing it would be to have funds raised to cover the travel expenses and all of this upcoming year's training fees!

Please share this message of hope, and donate how you feel led to help my friend offset the cost of having his very own superhero, one that will be his fur-ever friend! Thank you so much!