The following is a letter sent to us this morning by one of our DOGWISH K9 contracted recipients.
If you would like to know why we are so very determined to help these people, just read the following:
December 28, 2006
We are a military family – my husband is preparing for his third deployment since 9 eleven in March 2007. I have become accustomed to the idea of being a single mom off and on when my husband goes off to fight the war. It has never been easy sending a loved one off to war, not knowing if you will see him alive again. This stress added with raising a child with Autism has made for some difficult times. We have no family here in Tucson. We rely on neighbors and friends, but sometimes they are not available when I really need help with my two children, one with Autism. That is where I am hoping Dogwish Foundation can help me help my family.
My son has high functioning Autism which can have its advantages and disadvantages. Yes, a child with high functioning Autism may have more skills than a child with low functioning Autism; however, when he is ridiculed and teased and put down by peers and even grown adults, he comprehends everything that is said to him and about him. He knows that he is the target of ridicule when he does something bizarre or odd and he feels the deep pain that follows. People say individuals with Autism have no feelings, but I think it is the exact opposite. They do have feelings, stronger emotional feelings than any of us can grasp. He is much more sensitive and easily hurt by criticism and harassment. He wants so much to fit in that he will follow the crowd and do whatever someone tells him to do, just so they will like him. He is not able to understand when he is being manipulated. He is not able to see the hidden agenda in others. I hear so many stories of high functioning adults with Autism get involved with the wrong group of people and end up having trouble with the local authorities or worse, because they were only trying to fit into a world that continually discriminates against them. I read an article recently that a 9 year old child with high functioning Autism was taken from his school and arrested because of that very reason – nine years old! That is my sons exact age. I had two thoughts after reading this story. The first thought was for the family and trying to imagine what they must have been going through. My second thought was how an Assistance K9 dog could have help to prevent such a tragedy.
My son is probably the most gentle, honest sweet little boy you will ever meet. He is also the most trusting, gullible, easily manipulated and taken advantaged of child you can possible meet as well. If he is asked to do something, right or wrong, he will almost surely do it. He has frequent trouble with his speech and finding the correct word or phrase for what he wishes to convey and that is one of the many things he is teased for. His feelings are easily hurt. It is often difficult to find and keep a friend, a good friend that is. He needs a best friend and companion who will always be there for him, never leave his side, help him to make the right choices when he struggles to, never judge or tease him, always be patient with him, and give him a full sense of responsibility so that he can grow into a happy, confident and accomplished young man. An Assistance K9 dog can be that friend. He needs this more than ever with the preparation of seeing his only male role model, his beloved father, go off to war.
This boy is going to get his dog, trained exactly as he needs, delivered to his front door, with lifetime help, from The DOGWISH Foundation, and the Staff of USK9.
