Real Life The picture that means so much
Wendy Hicks’ daughter isn’t the only one who’s been transformed by one special pup
‘HE HAS COMPLETED OUR FAMILY’
Every time I see my daughter, Lola*, lying on the grass in the garden gently stroking her 15-month-old Labrador, Bailey, I almost can’t believe it. Less than a year ago, she’d have screamed if I’d tried to entice her outside. Only now, with Bailey, it feels like anything is possible.
It was in May 2009, when Lola was two, that I noticed she was less sociable than her sister, Grace*, four, and while Grace would happily play with other children at parties, Lola struggled. She’d hide behind me, and more often than not, as we came to leave, she’d end up in tears. My husband, David, then 37, and I tried to get her to join in but it felt like we were fighting a losing battle.
As Lola got older, it felt like things were only getting worse. Her mood seemed so temperamental. Every bedtime was a mission, wrestling with her to brush her teeth and get into bed, and even menial tasks became almost impossible. By the time she was 10, we were on a waiting list for a referral from our GP for specialist tests, but it was only after one of Lola’s weekly swimming sessions with her school ended in a tantrum and her teacher wrote to our GP, that we finally got the help we needed.
Lola was seen by occupational therapists, who diagnosed her with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Better known as ADHD, it’s a behavioural disorder that affects levels of inattentiveness,
hyperactivity and impulsiveness. In Lola’s case, the symptoms were mild, so while it didn’t affect her work, it was having an impact on her daily life.
Knowing we had to do something, we began researching. But it was only after seeing an autism assistance dog on Children in Need in 2018 that we discovered Supporting Paws. Apparently, some dogs were able to calm kids with autism and anxiety, so we applied.
By April 2019, they’d matched us with Bailey – a golden Lab – and we were all smitten. Even Lola cuddled up with him on the first meeting.
Yet, training a dog doesn’t come cheap. We were put in touch with crowdfunding charity Tree of Hope and, thanks to them, we were able to raise the £8,000 needed. And last August, Bailey became a permanent fixture at home.
From that moment on, the change in Lola was incredible. After school, she’d spend time with him in the garden, just stroking his fur. For a girl who used to hate going outside, it was a huge improvement.
In October, Lola, then 12, was also diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – a developmental disorder that affects communication and behaviour – and, in terms of treatment, doctors could do very little. But even though Lola still has bad days, Bailey helps her to stay calm. Every day when she gets home from school, he’s there waiting. They’ll play in the garden, go for walks, and at bedtime, he keeps close by until she’s drifted off. It might not seem like much, but those actions make all the difference. Now, we can’t imagine our lives without Bailey. He has completed our family.
Find Supporting Paws on Facebook @assistancesupportingpaws
For more information about
Tree of Hope, visit treeofhope.org.uk/