Project Story
Sabrina is a young girl from Toowoomba who suffers from the challenges of autism while also being blind in one eye and requires the assistance of a Smart Pup. Sabrina suffers from a wide range of symptoms due to her Incontinentia Pigmenti and her autism, both of which can make schooling and public outings overwhelming. She suffers from intense anxiety due to her difficulty in understanding social cues and will often run away. Her family have had to separate for many years as their Dad was working in St George while her mother moved to Toowoomba to be closer to the medical and allied health services needed to support Sabrina. This has placed a great strain on the family who have 3 other children, 2 of which have Incontinentia Pigmenti and Autism and the youngest daughter has who has epilepsy and vision impairment after a neonatal stroke. Due to this situation Sabrina has been approved for a Smart Pup autism assistance dog. She is an ideal candidate for this dog as she has complex needs and strong desire for companionship. She also already loves dogs! This assistance dog will be trained specifically to her needs to help her bridge the gap between herself and her world and assistant her family in navigating everyday life with less stress.
How the funds will be used
Funds used go towards the training, housing, food, vaccination, licensing, medical and hygiene expenses that are required for theses dogs. These dogs have full public access and as such need to meet strict standards to obtain this statsus.
What makes this project special
We have assisted many families in the fundraising efforts for these dogs and have seen first the amazing change they bring not only to the child but also their family. These dogs allow the child to connect and give them independence while also providing support to the child leaving their parents time to be parents rather than full time carers.