So in my last post, I promised some really special pictures . . . and here they are. Fair warning - there is a whole awful lot of cuteness ahead!!
First of all, as you know, Dave Nazaroff from Ride to Give ran in the NYC Marathon for Noah, and last week Noah got a VERY special package from Dave. Dave sent him his medal, the bib he wore during the race, and a bunch of other neat swag from the race. Dave kept sending Noah videos as he ran and as Noah watched Dave approaching then crossing the finish line live online, he kept kicking his little feet and yelling, "I'm running with you, Dave!!!"
I knew Dave was sending Noah his medal, but I was completely unprepared for what was on it. The runner's name and finish time are engraved on the back of the medals, and this medal lists the "finisher" as "Dave & Noah." Noah was beaming when he saw it and I was crying! This is a child who will never be able to run a single race in his entire life, but he's got a medal with his name on it from the NYC Marathon. This will forever rank as one of the most precious things anyone has ever done for Noah.
Enough talking, right? Here are some pictures!!!
Medal, bib, super-neat rain cape thingy - this is One. Happy. Boy. Everyone who walks into our house has to admire the medal and take note of the fact that his NAME is on it. :-)
This medal isn't the only thing bringing big smiles to Noah these days. A couple of weeks ago we had one of those experiences where many, many things came together in a way only God could orchestrate. We've talked about getting Noah a service dog for a very long time - for years, in fact. Every time we've tried to even research it or pursue it at all, the door has been firmly shut in our faces in one way or another, and it's been clear that it was just never God's timing.
That hasn't stopped us from circling back every few months to research, pray, and talk. Several weeks ago it seemed like God was suddenly saying "GO!" despite the fact that there were multiple huge obstacles in the way. Even Dr. B told us it that he thought it would be perfect for Noah to get a service dog. The leading seemed so strong that we stepped up our research even though it made NO sense and seemed completely impossible, and here's what happened . . .
~~On the face of it, a mobility dog would seem to the obvious choice for Noah, but mobility dogs are huge (retrievers, German Shepherds, etc). We just don't have the room for a huge dog and Noah doesn't really need a dog to open doors, pull his wheelchair, turn on lights, and so forth . . . BUT GOD led us to this very small, very intelligent breed that can do what Noah needs. (more on that later)
~~The wait for a trained service dog can be many years and the cost is staggering. We have never had peace about any kind of fundraising for a service dog. On top of that, while Jeff is working enough hours for us to get by (praise to God!), we couldn't in good conscience take on the ongoing expense of food, vet care, etc. . . BUT GOD provided money in a most unexpected way. Like I said in my last post, the bus we'd been wanting to buy sold right before the end of the bus fundraiser. When we called the bus seller, he honestly felt bad that our longed-for bus had sold. He offered to help us out by lowering the price of the other bus we'd been looking at and by VERY significantly reducing the cost of getting the bus transported here. The difference between the quoted transport price we'd fundraised for versus the price he gave us was enough to get this dog and set aside the money for an entire year of food, training, shots, routine vet visits, etc!!! (This is above and beyond being able to set aside money for an entire year of insurance for the bus, a year of oil changes, and a bit of a fund for other maintenance needs!)
~~When Jeff and I realized that there was the possibility of using that money to do something very meaningful for Noah, we still didn't think a service dog was even close to possible. Like I said, the cost is very high and the wait is far too long. We started thinking about getting a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and having it trained, but couldn't find one nearby that wasn't shockingly expensive. Purebred puppies often come with commas in their prices, every Cavalier mix we found was mixed with a breed that wouldn't be good for our purposes, and there were no adult rescues we could find within driving distance that didn't have significant health or behavior issues of their own. On top of that, we weren't at all sure that this could be a "do it yourself" training project . . . BUT GOD in one single day caused an amazing collision of things that shattered our objections. I "stumbled" across a listing of pups for sale - they are purebred but can't be AKC registered because Mommy Dog's papers were lost during a divorce. As a result, the pups were far less "valuable" and therefore far less expensive. Both parents were cleared of all common Cavalier health issues, and one pup was clearly showing Cavalier breed traits to an extreme - an almost unimaginable gentleness and a driving desire to do one single thing - to adore his human. This dog, like many Cavaliers, finds joy in cuddling, lying on or beside Noah or one of us, and figuring out how to please us. Just when the right dog appeared in the right place (only 2 hours from us) for the right price at the right time, we also "stumbled" across just the right local trainer who can provide all the training Jake will need to be just the right helper for Noah.
Jake already serves as incredibly calming influence for Noah, and probably deserves the most credit for Noah's willingness to wear his Bi-Pap.
Our first big goal is to get Jake through the full range of basic obedience training so that he can earn his Canine Good Citizen title. While he's doing that, we'll be working with him on desired service tasks. I have a feeling that he'll have them knocked out by the time he gets his CGC. Our top priority tasks for him (beside providing emotional comfort and stress relief for Noah) are for him to alert us when Noah's pumps or other equipment beeps and to get us if Noah needs us for any reason. (incredibly, he is already ignoring the routine beeps when we are working with Noah's pumps but sits up and takes notice when they alarm!!) He will be able to pick up small things that Noah drops and do other similar jobs to give Noah an added sense of independence, and he'll be able to "tattle" if Noah does something unsafe like take off his Bi-Pap mask during the night. He'll always be small enough for Noah to handle and to sit in Noah's lap when Noah's in his wheelchair. (Based on his parents, he'll be 11-12 inches tall at the shoulder and 10-15 lbs)
We were given a goal of having Jake meet 100 people by 12 weeks of age to ensure that he is well socialized. Because he's only had his first set of puppy shots, we can't yet take him places like the park where he might be exposed to things like parvo. We have, however, had a BLAST taking him in our arms or on Noah's lap to the three places where he's both welcome and safe - the two pet stores around the corner and our local Starbucks. While it sounds awfully luxurious, sitting outside of Starbucks is a GREAT way for Jake to meet lots of people, see and hear lots of kinds of vehicles, and get used to sitting quietly amidst all of that fun. Every time we go, the baristas give him a "puppachino," which is a tiny cup of whipped cream. He loves these!
Noah is just head over heels in love with his new best friend and can't wait to start going to "dog school" with him on Saturday. It's nothing short of amazing to see how Jake is already making a difference. Whether he's cuddling and calming when Noah's worried or giving Noah someone to take care of (invaluable for a boy who can do very little for himself!!), we have no doubts at all that Jake and Noah are a match literally made in heaven. Jeff and I haven't stopped marveling and grinning that something we considered impossible just weeks ago has come to pass in such a beautiful way. We serve an amazing God who took the heartache of an unfixable bus, turned it around, and used it to do great things. The encouragement of so many people pulling together for Noah, the pride on Noah's face when he wears his medal, and the precious comfort of his "impossible" service dog all came from something we saw as a disaster. Even the disappointing loss of what WE thought was the ideal bus turned out to be part of God's plan! Every single one of you who prayed, shared, gave, or encouraged were part of this and we'll never be able to say "thank you" enough.
Blessings,
Kate
P.S. - please pray for Noah as he's getting his supra-pubic catheter changed tomorrow morning in the O.R.!
