Autistic boy’s best friend gives him a new leash of life, says mum
DOGS may be our best friends, but for some people they are minder, surrogate mother and best friend on four paws.
At just three years of age Meath youngster Lucas Wester was diagnosed with a debilitating illness called Phelan McDermid Syndrome, a disease that affects just one in 6.5million people and one that has severely limited his and his family’s life capabilities.
But now a gorgeous golden retriever called Elsa has become his best friend and minder.
‘The foundation names the doggies so when we got her she was called Elsa. She is nearly two and we got her two months ago,’ said mum Joanna.
‘There is a lot of work, like all dogs they need work and looking after, but when I see the little head on Lucas and he’s looking for her, stroking her and feeding her and all he wants to do is be with her and how much he wants to interact with her, it’s just fantastic.
‘She calms him, so her temperament is perfect to keep Lucas calm and he has reacted unbelievably to her,’ she said. ‘All they want to do is just be with each other.’
While Elsa may be a soothing influence in the home, it is when they are out that she really comes into her own. ‘She puts on her jacket and she’s a working dog. She just keeps him safe.
‘He is attached to her and I have control of Elsa, and so Lucas is calmer.
‘I’m not holding on to his jumper trying to keep him beside me. That was the hardest thing with Lucas, trying to keep him from bolting.
‘He is a runner so if he wants to bolt, he’s looking for opportunities.’
Lucas’s condition means he requires roundthe-clock attention and minding. ‘Lucas’s needs are intense; he is non-verbal, he is still in nappies, he can walk but he has no muscle tone, so you are always afraid he is going to trip over, so the minding on Lucas is 24/7. So now with Elsa I find that she takes on the responsibility of some of the minding,’ said Joanna.
And while Elsa’s arrival has been a huge source of joy, Lucas was waiting a whole seven years just to have a little friend and four-legged bodyguard. A wait that Joanna feels is far too long.
‘It normally takes five, that’s kind of the wait we were told, but unfortunately due to funding and demand they had to shut down the wait list a few times.
‘It’s a fine balancing act what age the child gets the dog, so seven years is too long.’
Meanwhile home improvement store Woodie’s is sponsoring the training of a chocolate Labrador – called Woody – as it launches its annual fundraising campaign Woodie’s Heroes for four children’s charities next week.
The chosen charities are Barnardos, Childline, Down Syndrome Ireland and Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland (AADI). They are hoping to smash last year’s amount raised of €417,000 and help children in need.
Elsa’s training expenses cost AADI €22,000. It also provides aftercare and ongoing training support to the family throughout the dog’s working life.