A Life Unleashed Success Story
Mobily Service dog performing tasks related to needs, such as pushing buttons and retrieving dropped objects…
Client Submission on 08/02/2023
Lisa and Luminary Service Dogs gave us such an incredible gift. When my 16-year-old son Cyrus broke his neck in a skiing accident, he was introduced to service dogs while in rehab for quadriplegia at Craig Hospital in Denver. He and a new friend, also recently injured from a head first dive, spoke together of how much they wanted to have dogs. The joy of a relationship with a dog was a simple dream for these recently injured teens, however, the wait to get a service dog is often 3 years after injury, after time on a wait list, and the fully trained dog is usually 30 months old when it arrives to be of service to wheelchair users.
Cyrus wanted a dog sooner than that and he especially wanted to enjoy puppyhood. We found a breed that was well-suited for service, a Golden Retriever/Bernese Mountain Dog mix, and rolled the dice. Cyrus had a puppy, Chela, for his 17th birthday. Not long after, it became apparent that the stress of training the dog was creating additional anxiety for Cyrus. We were working hard, spending hours training, having her enrolled in classes and leaving her with an instructive puppy-day care when we travelled to the hospital for outpatient rehab. We were enjoying his new puppy, yet despite our best efforts realized that we needed more help. We were so lucky to find an opening with Lisa. After a few introductory meetings for her to assess our dog, she felt that Chela was capable of being trained. One December evening in Woodland Park, Chela obediently jumped in Lisa’s truck and was off.
During the board-and-train we interacted every few weeks so that Lisa could clarify which tasks would best serve Cyrus. And then, after 6 months, Chela was returned to us. For our first outing we toured the mall together and Chela was spot-on with her position next to his chair as he rolled along. Chela waited alongside of Cyrus’ chair for a long lunch discussing the transition back home, comfortable and patient. Lisa passed Cyrus the leash and we were off into our life! Chela donned a service vest the next day and Cyrus rolled her into Craig Hospital, where she was flawless in her behavior in a dynamic hospital rehab setting, with wheelchairs and therapists working all around her. She has done well in all subsequent settings. Lisa has been an ongoing support in the weeks afterward to address any questions that have arisen. Chela has continued to prove herself more than capable of accompanying Cyrus through his life and will head with him next month to the University of Denver, where she will live with him in the freshman dorms. She is capable of performing tasks related to his needs, such as pushing buttons and retrieving dropped objects, as well as being totally comfortable in any public access situations, obediently remaining alongside of Cyrus or in whatever place he commands while he faces the complexities of spinal cord rehab, college, and late adolescence. Chela, being well trained, has found an even happier place within our family system.
The reassurance of a well-trained dog has been a priceless gift for my son, whose life was devastated unexpectedly, and he is receiving more than we ever hoped by having a dog. He lost control over his body and power over so many aspects of life after his injury. To be in a position of being able to successfully direct an animal offers him the psychological strength to realize that, with support from people like Lisa, he can regain aspects of the power and control he needs to live a live worth living. Already, thanks to My Life Unleashed and Luminary Service Dogs, he is actively realizing personal dreams for himself, such as his simple hope to have his own dog. I appreciate you taking the time to read our journey with training our dog. I highly recommend My Life Unleashed and Luminary Service Dogs, which offers an effective, capable and well-developed approach. Thanks so much for everything, Lisa!
