Nice to meet you!

My name is Ryan and I am a gentle, smart, sweet 4-year-old who loves to climb, swing, hug, and is obsessed with Pixar’s Planes & Cars movies. When I was born, I rarely ever cried, and my parents thought they hit the jackpot. As time went on, my parents noticed I was not hitting my developmental milestones: rolling, crawling, walking, jumping, talking, etc. By the time I was 1 ½ years old, I was already receiving early intervention services and by two years old, I was diagnosed with a developmental delay and started speech therapy. When I was a few months shy of turning 3 yrs. old, my mom started noticing that I had a lot of trouble with transitioning between activities, not giving eye contact, was organizing my toys in a specific order, speaking in gibberish/repeating phrases, and constantly rubbing my nails against certain fabrics. I was then evaluated and diagnosed with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Child Apraxia of Speech. Since my diagnosis, our lives have been turned upside down with many therapy appointments, and doctor visits, not to mention the lack of sleep my parents are getting as I like to party in the middle of the night. I am shy of being non-verbal and require ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), speech therapy, and occupational therapy multiple times a week. In fact, in a week, I receive close to 25-30 hours of special interventions from my amazing team of educators and therapists.

When I was about 3 ½ years old, I began running away from my parents. It started with me wanting to run towards something, like a closed door, to investigate what was behind it, and then I started darting away any chance I could. What can you say? I am curious! My family is no longer able to go to another room or take care of a simple task like cooking dinner or putting away laundry without having someone always watching me. I am silent and move stealthily like a ninja. I still don’t understand it isn’t safe to run into the street. My parents began holding my hand in public to protect me. This also frustrates me and brings on other behaviors, such as throwing myself onto the ground as I'm overwhelmed by the outside stimulation. We get a lot of stares whenever we are out in public.

My mom and dad are so excited to share that, after an extensive but supportive process, I have been officially APPROVED to receive a service dog through Little Angels Service Dogs (LASD), a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals who work through various medical challenges. 

At this point, I bet you are wondering why I am writing to you. It costs Little Angels a minimum of $38,000 to raise, train and place a service dog. This expense includes, and is not limited to food, medical care, breeding costs, supplies (including crates, food dishes, toys, collars, poop bags, etc.), overhead costs and of course paying the licensed trainers at Little Angels. Little Angels Service Dogs relies heavily on the generosity of donors like yourself to help me raise the funds for kids like myself to be placed with a special little angel. Every dollar donated goes directly to the training and placement of service dogs for kids just like me!

From my mom . . .  .

In honor of Ryan, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Little Angels Service Dogs by following the secure link on this page!

*Please include solicitation code PA-WA-RY with your donation as Little Angels tracks all incoming donations.*

Most of us know the gift it is to have a furry companion, but for those of us with loved ones who work through more than we can ever fully understand, this gift is truly life changing. This organization is as passionate and dedicated as they come. The process involved in training and caring for a puppy who will someday serve as a powerful companion to an individual with special needs requires the special level of passion found at Little Angels Service Dogs.

For Ryan, his special companion will be tether-trained, which helps prevent Ryan from the danger of running off in parking lots, stores, or across the street. His dog will provide deep pressure therapy (like a firm hug), which is a proven therapy to help Ryan calm down and feel safe in moments that cause him anxiety and to help him sleep at night. And if for any reason Ryan decides to take off to explore on his own without us, his furry companion will be trained and able to find Ryan by scent! These skills aren’t the only ones though.  Ryan will be able to learn how to take care of someone else – feeding his pup each day and learning how to brush him/her.  When other kids around him are playing and he is feeling like sitting to read a book, that pup will be right there with him – giving him perhaps the greatest gift of all – constant companionship in a world much different than yours and mine.

If you would rather send a check, you can do that as well. You can mail a check payable to Little Angels Service Dogs to the following address. Just make sure you add the code (PA-WA-RY) in the memo of your check. If you are utilizing a corporate match, please ensure you use this code as well!

Little Angels Service Dogs
1088 US Route 302
Bartlett, NH 03812

We look forward to taking you along on our journey and thank you in advance for your love and generous support in helping to enhance the lives of individuals like our Ryan. 

Much Love and Gratitude!