A young man with cerebral palsy has been given the help he needs through the gift of a service dog in Trussville, Alabama.
23-year-old James “Kelly” Russell was born with cerebral palsy, which makes many mundane tasks we would take for granted exceedingly difficult for him. He is confined to a wheelchair, and has trouble with simple things like picking up items and turning off the lights. To his great delight, Russell now has a new friend to help.
Russell’s helper, Reba, is a black retriever. The Canine Assistants Program, which offers free service dogs to disabled patients, recently paired up Reba with Russell. Service dogs like Reba can cost upwards of $15,000, far out of the price range of many people who need them.
Fortunately for Russell, the Milk-Bone company decided to team up with Sam’s Club to help purchase Reba for him. Through their sponsorship of the Canine Assistants Program, they have given away over 1,000 service dogs.
Reba was trained for two years in order to be able meet her owner’s needs, and to be capable of alerting caregivers when something goes wrong. This includes detecting seizures and picking up on breathing issues caused by his condition.
It is difficult to think of a better way for businesses to contribute to their community than through service dogs. We are happy Russell has such a helpful new friend.
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – cerebral palsy attorneys
