May 3, 2012

Living in Fear & The Continued Countdown

A suspicious male attempted to get a young boy into his vehicle Monday morning here in Quesnel. The boy fled and reported the incident to his school and subsequently, the local RCMP.

It is incident's like this that terrify me.

Thor will see a stranger and something will catch his eye - it could be the color or pattern of their clothing. It could be their glasses, or hat. It could be anything...and he will have it set in his head that he has to "...go see that guy." (to him, everyone is a "guy") He will wiggle out of my grasp and run to them. It doesn't matter if it's across a store or across a street...he is focussed on his goal of "seeing that guy".

He has even gotten into a stranger's vehicle mere seconds after getting out of ours... because the color was his favourite. Thankfully, that "stranger" was someone I know...but Thor didn't.

I think every parent lives with a bit of anxiety about their children - that they will get hurt or lost. But I live in fear every single moment that we are out of our house. Thor has a distorted sense of danger; things that shouldn't frighten him, do...and things that should frighten him, don't.

He's getting bigger and doesn't want to hold hands or be in a stroller or shopping cart. He needs a sense of independence while still being safe. And his service dog will provide this for him. With a belt around his waist tethered to his dog's harness, Thor will gain independence from me. He will also have a mini-leash to hold so he feels like he is "walking" his dog...not being held back. In return, I will gain peace of mind knowing our 4 legged hero will be with us always...watching over him, keeping him safe from bolting away, and being able to track him if he ever did (obviously they won't be tethered while at home or playing in the yard).

4 Paws for Ability Service Dog in Training, Deja
(we don't know who will be Thor's pawtner -
but I love to feature dogs in training)
I keep looking at the calendar...3 months left until we meet Thor's Autism Service Dog. I still have $5300 to raise in order to be able to afford the 2 week trip to Ohio to attend training. At times, I feel overwhelmed at the numbers. I know we can do it, but I still need the help of the many friends, family, and "strangers" from around the World who have shown their support, both financially and emotionally.

Thank you so much to everyone...you're bringing Thor closer to meeting his 4 legged hero.


1 comments:

Samantha said...

This is stunning! So excited for you (: I can't wait for updates!!!

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