Determination has driven Patty to stay productive and active, but health concerns started occurring that led to a life-changing medical discovery. At first Patty experienced numbness in her left hand. This eventually led to her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis. She stayed ambulatory as long as possible until her condition affected her ability to walk. In her New Richmond, WI home, Patty often uses her walker, but on outings and at work, she uses her motorized scooter. In doing so, she struggles to get items beyond her reach and is in danger of falling if she leans too far. When Patty …
Mobility Assist Dog
A Journey and a Jedi Through Life’s Dark Side
Among the many life lessons to live by from Star Wars, we can understand that fate never tells us the odds, and it’s up to us to fulfill our destiny. A special dog is helping one man better understand these messages. When Army veteran and avid runner Rich suddenly lost almost half of his mobility function, he became twice as dependent on help from others. While remodeling his Coon Rapids home in 2011, Rich fell off the roof and suffered a massive stroke. This caused extremely limited use of his right side, as well as aphasia and ataxia that affects …
Roni and Mobility Assist Dog Eunice Form Complete Friendship
The best of friends often get to a point of being able to complete each others’ sentences. In a way, that practice is something Roni and Mobility Assist Dog Eunice have accomplished in just a matter of weeks. Recently, Roni dropped a bottle of conditioner on the floor and explains, “I started saying the command, and Eunice already had [the bottle] in my hand.” This way of reading Roni’s mind shows just how eager to please the smart, black Labrador Retriever is. In fact, Eunice is so excited to work that the team is practicing patience so that Eunice doesn’t …
An Assistance Dog Brings Life-Changing Surprises
Growing up with a disability means only knowing a life of adaptations. This can make it challenging to see the need for additional help. Callie had a stroke as a newborn baby, leaving her with left-sided hemiparesis. She has very limited use of her left arm and leg, along with some other physical challenges. She also started having seizures when she was 18, and while medication has helped manage them, she still experiences a petit mal seizure every few weeks. Callie enjoys dance classes, working at a local fast-food restaurant, and has been envisioning moving into her own home. Even …
Assistance Dog Brings Partner New Health and Happiness
As a young adult in his 20s, Joshua never expected a neurological disorder to slow down his trek through life. After he started experiencing symptoms of his feet going numb, he was eventually diagnosed with primary-progressive multiple sclerosis. This affects him primarily being unable to control his balance, but also causes chronic pain in his legs, which is expected to worsen over time. Loss of reflexes in his knees has forced Joshua to use a cane, walker, and a scooter to get around. He struggled with not being able to work anymore and adjusting to life with a disability. A …
Life for a Working Dog
Sheila’s life was full of hard work while she was raising a family. It became even harder work once her health started declining. She battled cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, an adult-onset curvature in her spine, and epilepsy, along with chronic pain and loss of bone density. Each diagnosis and battle left her abilities and freedom limited. Through it all, Sheila continued seeking treatments and options to help her continue to live a fulfilling life. Her first assistance dog helped her recognize what a difference an assistance dog could make in her well-being and independence. Sadly, her first assistance dog passed away, …
An Added Peace to a Challenging Situation
Disabilities are limiting in many physical aspects, and can also take a huge toll on a person’s mental well-being. Brianna has lived with cerebral palsy for all of her life and has learned to gracefully accept the challenges it brings, including being unable to maintain many motor skills. However, a complication from a surgery resulted in chronic pain and additional challenges for her. Basic tasks and daily activities became increasingly difficult. Brianna is able to use a manual wheelchair for longer distances and sometimes in the home, a scooter out in the community, or a walker for shorter distances. Family, …
Making the Leap From Good to Great
Mike was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. Symptoms primarily affect his left side. He has difficulty using his left hand to grasp heavy or small items, so he uses his right arm, with his left being his “helping hand.” His balance is limited due to decreased mobility in his left leg, and he tends to trip easily. If he falls, it becomes a dangerous situation since he has a hard time getting himself back to a safe position. Despite these constant threats to his safety, Mike’s determination to adapt enabled him to maintain employment and a sense of independence. …
Still Finding Answers, Forty Years After a Diagnosis
Disabilities often come as a double-edged sword, not only causing mobility challenges where basic movements require extra effort, but also limiting a person’s energy reserve, which is drained quickly just getting through the day. Candy has lived with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for 39 years. Her symptoms change on a regular basis, but her condition mostly affects her balance and her cognition. MS interrupts the flow of information to the rest of the body, and the process of navigating the world demands unending strenuous physical and mental exertion. Over the course of the day, Candy’s energy fades abruptly, and she has …
Quirk Takes Fear Out of Daily Routine
Cherie, a retired special education teacher, made a career of helping others. She even served on a national board and local committees for children with emotional disturbance. However, since 2010, chronic pain from a degenerative joint disease has been debilitating for Cherie. In 2017, she was diagnosed with non-common hydrocephalus. She has a shunt in her scalp to manage the fluid build-up, but a fall that knocks it would be fatal. Cherie has been on the floor for hours at a time because she was physically unable to get up. She’s learned to stay safe by staying close to home …