Down Syndrome often brings many difficulties and hardships, and Ben’s case is no exception. At 7 years old he has already endured more medical procedures and been to more doctors’ appointments than most adults. No matter the challenge, no matter the discomfort, Ben meets every hardship with joy and never stops working. He is our hero.

Perhaps the most impactful single thing we can do to assist Benedict with the many daily challenges he faces, and help him live a fuller and easier life, is to pair him with his very own service dog! Much research has led us to 4 Paws for Ability, and they have already approved Ben for a dog after agreeing with us that this will really enhance Ben’s quality of life. But we need help to make this dream come true.

4 Paws will raise and train one of their remarkable service dogs with precisely Ben’s needs in mind, providing lifetime support to Ben’s dog and helping us to make Ben’s life easier and more enriching every day. And the specialized abilities instilled by 4 Paws training program are truly amazing!

Some of the things this amazing dog will do for Ben are:

• Benedict is a runner - he is always trying to get out and explore the world. However, he also has no safety awareness and would happily run straight into oncoming traffic. Ben’s dog will be trained to track Ben if he manages to elude our safety measures and get outside (this would bring such peace of mind to us, as this is our greatest fear for Ben!). The dog will also be trained to tether to Ben when we are out in the community. I’m so excited for Ben to be able to have more freedom!

• A child with Down Syndrome has low muscle tone and this can make things like walking and standing exhausting for them. Ben usually goes about in his wheelchair as he is not able to walk for very long without tiring and still can’t run or jump. Additionally, due to his low muscle tone, Ben’s gait is unsteady, and he trips and falls easily. But while he doesn’t like to walk, he can be quick when he puts his mind to it! Tethering him to his dog will allow Ben to explore his surroundings in a safe way, as the dog will make sure Ben doesn’t make a break for the street. It will also allow Ben to roam without one of us holding his hand, which is really what he would prefer!

• Ben has low vision due to severe astigmatism and strabismus (no depth perception). This makes it difficult for him to safely navigate his environment, especially when it is unfamiliar. Benedict finds going down steps terrifying and always seeks out support, even to go down just one step. Ben’s dog will be trained to provide balance support, making it easier and safer for Ben to walk around and explore, as he will not have to be afraid of falling - his dog will be there to help him!

• Ben also has sensory processing disorder, and this leads to many sensory seeking behaviors. He is easily overwhelmed by noise and extremely sensitive to any unhappiness around him - but he is non-verbal, and thus is not able to express his feelings and emotions to us in words. He can find this frustrating at times and this adds to his distress when he is unhappy about something. Ben’s dog will be trained to provide behavior disruption, so when Ben is engaging in a sensory seeking behavior, or is getting overwhelmed by noise, or is unhappy, the dog will provide support and comfort through deep pressure (something Ben craves) and companionship.

We believe that a service dog will open up Ben’s world. It is our hope that the companionship of a dog and the comparative freedom to roam with his dog will encourage him to walk more, building up his strength and endurance. Most of all, his dog will make many of Ben’s challenges easier for him to handle.

A service dog, especially one trained for such specific needs, is very expensive. We need to raise $23,000 to bring Ben’s dog home.

It is not possible for us to make this dream come true without help, so I am asking you to pray for us, that we can make this happen for Ben. And if you would like to help directly as well, you can donate to Ben’s fee for service.

We will keep all of you in our prayers. Thank you for your help!

Training a service dog to meet our child’s requirements can be very costly. On average it costs between $40,000-60,000 to raise, train, and place a service dog at 4 Paws for Ability. While 4 Paws for Ability fundraises to help cover a significant portion of this cost, families are tasked with raising $20,000 of that amount or $23,000 if receiving a poodle, doodle or papillon. We hope that we can receive assistance from our beloved family and friends to help make our service dog dream a reality.