Ethan was born on a cold November morning in 2012. He was a happy, smiling infant – but very quiet. As he grew we realized he was missing milestones, in particular with speech but also with gross and fine motor capabilities. At his 2 year old well-baby visit it was obvious that Ethan had a delay but the extent was still unknown. We enrolled him in Help Me Grow, started him in therapy, and prayed. At 3 years old we received the formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Type II – and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD.) It is hard to express the fear of the unknown like that moment. Will he grow up ok? Will he have friends? Will he go to college – have his own family? You panic on levels you didn’t know existed. You grieve for the life you fear he will never have.

Then you breathe…

And you realize this beautiful little boy is awesome. He loves meatballs and tickles. He is the best snuggler. He loves animals and sings to his stuffed toys.

You realize you love him with every fiber of your being. You commit to trying to help him anyway you can. We navigated the IEP process – we learned as much as we can about therapies available, of help available. It lead us to W.A.G.S. 4 Kids. An autism spectrum service dog could help Ethan is so many ways: help interrupt his STIM behavior, love him up when he’s frustrated, be that key to meeting other 5 year old boys and girls, just to name a few. This is hope. Your donation is hope. Thank you for reading our story.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Ethan & Tinner - 2019