Training Coco to be a Service Dog for Jojo!
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Hello! This fundraiser is to provide a service dog for our daughter, Josephine Olive (Jojo), who was born in 2018 with spina bifida.
Spina bifida is a congenital defect of the spine in which part of the spinal cord and its meninges are exposed through a gap in the backbone. For Jojo, this meant enduring her first surgery to close her muscles and skin around her spinal cord at just 12 hours old. Jojo's type of spina bifida has also caused hydrocephalus (swelling of the ventricles in the brain), leading to two brain surgeries before her first birthday, and bladder complications, requiring another surgery just before her second birthday. We are very lucky that we live in Boston, and have Boston Children's Hospital as our home base for all Jojo's care!
Spina bifida often causes paralysis of the lower limbs, as it has for Jojo, who lacks feeling and control of her legs below the knee, and has dislocated hips. Even with these issues, Jojo has been working on learning to stand and walk with braces since January of 2020. In addition to learning to stand and walk, Jojo has also been learning to get around in a wheelchair.
A service dog would help Jojo gain even more independence than her wheelchair has given her. Her dog will help her while in her wheelchair and as she works on walking on her own. The dog will help her transition from her wheelchair, complete tasks such as picking up items she drops, or turning on lights, and when full grown will also serve as a mobility dog, providing a harness and support that Jojo can lean on while she walks.
We have been matched with a wonderful puppy from Hope Service Dogs . "Pink Boy," who we will call Coco, is a standard poodle, and seems destined to be a great mobility dog. He is calm and about twice as large as his smallest litter mate! He will be coming from Florida to Boston on June 4th, 2021, to begin his transition to New England with Boston For the Dogs , before he goes to one of their puppy raisers. Coco will spend the next two years training with the Boston for the Dogs team and bonding with Jojo, before he and Jojo head out into the world together full time.
To cover the costs of bringing him home and getting him settled, we are aiming to raise $5000 by July 31, 2021.
We will continue to raise funds for his service dog training, and will provide updates on his training and their bond!
Spina bifida is a congenital defect of the spine in which part of the spinal cord and its meninges are exposed through a gap in the backbone. For Jojo, this meant enduring her first surgery to close her muscles and skin around her spinal cord at just 12 hours old. Jojo's type of spina bifida has also caused hydrocephalus (swelling of the ventricles in the brain), leading to two brain surgeries before her first birthday, and bladder complications, requiring another surgery just before her second birthday. We are very lucky that we live in Boston, and have Boston Children's Hospital as our home base for all Jojo's care!
Spina bifida often causes paralysis of the lower limbs, as it has for Jojo, who lacks feeling and control of her legs below the knee, and has dislocated hips. Even with these issues, Jojo has been working on learning to stand and walk with braces since January of 2020. In addition to learning to stand and walk, Jojo has also been learning to get around in a wheelchair.
A service dog would help Jojo gain even more independence than her wheelchair has given her. Her dog will help her while in her wheelchair and as she works on walking on her own. The dog will help her transition from her wheelchair, complete tasks such as picking up items she drops, or turning on lights, and when full grown will also serve as a mobility dog, providing a harness and support that Jojo can lean on while she walks.
We have been matched with a wonderful puppy from Hope Service Dogs . "Pink Boy," who we will call Coco, is a standard poodle, and seems destined to be a great mobility dog. He is calm and about twice as large as his smallest litter mate! He will be coming from Florida to Boston on June 4th, 2021, to begin his transition to New England with Boston For the Dogs , before he goes to one of their puppy raisers. Coco will spend the next two years training with the Boston for the Dogs team and bonding with Jojo, before he and Jojo head out into the world together full time.
To cover the costs of bringing him home and getting him settled, we are aiming to raise $5000 by July 31, 2021.
We will continue to raise funds for his service dog training, and will provide updates on his training and their bond!
Co-organizers (2)
Jessie Elliott
Organizer
Boston, MA
James Elliott
Co-organizer