Hi, my name is Laura, and I am here to share about my best friend’s family who needs funds to take home their daughter’s, Willow, service dog.

Jennifer and Christian, Willow’s parents, have been married for 22 years and are parents to seven beautiful children. Their oldest boys are 23 and 24, and live an independent, successful young-adult life. Noah, age 18 years, lives at home with his family. Noah was born with a seizure disorder requiring the removal of the left half of his brain. He underwent five brain surgeries at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital and four additional surgeries for shunt placements due to hydrocephalus. He has right hemiplegia, homonymous hemianopia, and an intellectual disability.

Willow is a smart, kind, funny, and creative kid. She has a huge heart and loves so big. Willow, age 8, is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, generalized anxiety, and separation anxiety. These diagnoses impact her independence with daily living activities. As a pediatric occupational therapist, I can professionally and personally attest to Willow’s sensory challenges. Willow is easily overstimulated by loud or sudden noises, flashing lights, and certain textures. She has frequent meltdowns, which can last several hours, due to her sensory processing challenges. Her threshold for nervous system "fight or flight" activation is much more sensitive than that of a "neurotypical" child. She frequently experiences meltdowns/panic attacks and sensory overload. She requires significant priming for changes in her daily schedule to maximize her overall daily functioning. The most profound impact Willow’s autism has on her family is her inability to sleep in her own bedroom or in a shared bedroom with her sisters. Due to her severe separation anxiety, she will only fall asleep when co-sleeping with her mom.

In 2019, when living in Kansas, Jennifer and Christian became foster parents. They took placement of a sibling set of girls, ages 4 months and 14 months, the first week they obtained their foster care licensed. After a year of maintaining foster placement with their two foster daughters, they welcomed their girls’ biological baby sister, who was only two days old. The three girls have various levels of special needs. One has a diagnosis of reactive attached disorder due to her early childhood trauma and neglect, and the other two are diagnosed with a very rare genetic syndrome, with less than 100 cases reported in the United States. They are part of various research initiatives centered around the intellectually, medical, growth hormone deficiencies, and feeding-related disorders related to the rare genetic disability. They receive an extensive amount of therapy, some of which is not paid for by insurance. These three precious girls are currently in the process of being adopted by the Jones family.

The family was surprised when their son, Noah, received his service dog, Ruffles, through CARES, Inc. in Concordia, Kansas, prior to moving back to their home state of North Carolina. Ruffles has brought about confidence, security, and a sense of independence to Noah, and Jennifer and Christian are optimistic that the service dog Willow has been matched with will have the same positive impact on her overall daily functioning. With the encouragement of Willow’s ABA and play therapists, the family has decided to pursue the purchase of a highly trained service dog to help mitigate the negative impact of Willow’s special needs. Willow has been matched with a registered service dog with CARES, Inc. The service dog is in the process of being specifically trained to help meet Willow’s needs as it will be trained to co-sleep with her and manage her separation anxiety behaviors, provide companionship and be a social bridge with other children, and physically calm Willow when she is overstimulated.

The cost for the specialized training and care for this dog is $7,000. This payment is due in full by March 14, 2025. Any funds received will go directly to the purchase of this service dog, as well travel expenses from the east coast to Kansas and back. This family would be beyond grateful for any monetary donation and prayers!