Vincie was born prematurely on January 1, 2008. His growth and development was slow and challenging for him. During his first three years of life, Vincie had multiple doctors and therapy appointments each week. At the age of 3, he was finally diagnosed with 13Q deletion, which is a chromosomal deletion that brings a variety of lifelong medical and development concerns. Vincie was also diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy and an immune deficiency. Vincie fought the immune deficiency by going for infusion treatments every 3-4 weeks for 2.5 years. These treatments were very challenging for him. Vincie has developed a significant fear of going to the doctors due to all of the intense medical treatment he received as a young boy. At an early age, we noticed that Vincie became attached to a retired police K-9 we had at home. Watching this relationship and impact it had on Vincie made us realize that a service animal would significantly augment Vincie’s daily living and medical needs. We began the process with WAGS when Vincie was 5 years old. He received Harper, the most amazing animal we have ever been blessed with. He made such a huge impact on Vincie’s life. Unfortunately, Harper passed away in February of 2023. Vincie was devastated when this happened. He continues to have very difficult days and moments from this loss. We are excited to work with the wonderful WAGS organization again to help Vinicie move forward in his life.

Today, Vincie is a very personable, happy, and determined young man. He enjoys being around friends and family and is well known in our community. He enjoys watching movies and listening to music. Vincie enjoys being a member of his high school band playing percussion. Although Vincie still has significant developmental delays as well as some medical issues that need to be monitored on a regular basis, he is thriving every day! Vincie is an avid athlete playing any sport that is presented to him. He is a great teammate, offering encouragement and support to every member on either side of the ball!

Vincie struggles with sleep disturbances which impacts many aspects of his health and well being. Harper was a key part of helping Vincie in this regard which kept him healthy longer and more often. Vincie also took Harper to every doctor's appointment to help him get through exams and procedures. We would like a new dog to continue giving Vincie an opportunity to maintain his many facets of his health and personal well being. Vincie asks for a new dog every day and this conversation escalates each time he visits a doctor or has a difficult time going to bed. We look forward to welcoming a new partner into Vincie's life.

You can also mail a check or money order to:

W.A.G.S. 4 Kids, 112 East Center Street, Berea, OH 44017

Please make a memo that your donation is for Vincie