Thursday, June 13, 2013

Meet Boo's friend Zachary!

I’d like to introduce you to Boo’s friend, Zachary. Zach is a fabulous boy in Boo’s class who happens to have autism. Zachary was the first boy to hold Boo’s hand. It was so awesome, watching them walk into school together.


Like Boo, Zach is a frequent eloper. If your child has never eloped count yourself lucky. Boo has tried to escape us many times. Not on purpose or intent. She is just not aware that she is no longer with our group. We can be in the yard playing, blink for just a moment and she is gone.

It is a scary moment for any parent. But for a parent like Zachary’s mom, Laura, it is beyond terrifying. You see, at fiveryears old Zachary is considered non-verbal. He would probably not respond to calls of his name, nor would he be able to tell a stranger his own.  Zachary is always in motion. Like Boo, unless he is contained in a stroller he is off. He has no awareness of the danger. At home doors must be securely locked (even in the heat of summer) and windows must have a no-escape feature. He sleeps in a secure tent to limit the chance of him wandering while his parents try to sleep. Yes, I said try. Any of us with a child who has the need to wander sleep with one ear open.



Zach’s awesome parents are turning to 4 Paws for Ability, a non-profit organization that places certified service dogs with children of various disabilities. In Zachary’s case, his dog would be trained to provide sensory input, interrupt dangerous behaviors, calm meltdowns and most importantly the dog would keep Zachary safe. The dog would be trained, in the event that Zachary did elope to find him. The dogs are trained to follow his scent and locate him within minutes.

What more could a parent ask for? Well, the money to provide their child with the security he deserves. A certified and trained dog costs $13,000. Parents of children with special needs do not have discretionary income. Our children cost more than the typical child. Our incomes are lower than before as we need to take more time off of work for therapies, doctor’s appointments and other activities to assist our children. Our free money gets spent on sleeping tents, door alarms and adaptive equipment.

To have $13,000 to spend on anything would be huge. To have the money needed to provide safety for our child would be a miracle.

I asked Laura if I could share her story to spread awareness. Last month two families lost their child to autism. Yes, I went there. Autism was the culprit in their death. A child who eloped for less than 20 minutes from her grandmother’s house and was not found alive. This is a tragedy.  If it only takes a dog that can locate a child within minutes and save a child I am all for spreading the word.

I am also hoping to help Zachary in his fundraising efforts. They have currently raised $2,400 towards security. If everyone who reads this blog donates $13 then forwards this post to 20 of their friends who donates another $13 it would only take a thousand readers to provide Zachary with a safety friend.

And allow his mom and dad to sleep a little more soundly.

To donate please visit http://www.razoo.com/story/4-Paws-For-Zachary or you may mail a check with his name on the memo line to: 4 Paws for Ability, In Honor of Zachary Fiorillo, 253 Dayton Ave., Xenia, Ohio 45385. (If you do send a check, please remember to add Zachary’s name!).

To learn more about Boo’s amazing friend, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/4PawsForZachary

16 comments:

  1. Kerri, I couldn't even imagine, but am heading over to the link you shared to see what I can do. thank you for sharing Zachary's story with us!

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  2. I can't imagine living with the constant fear of my child possibly being in danger. I will spread the word about 4Paws, Kerri.

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  3. My husband's brother has autisim...what's it called when it's on the worse end of the spectrum? low functioning? -anyway he uses very few words and and doesn't understand most of the things we take for granted. My mother in law has told me many stories of his escapes through the years. Once he unbuckled himself and jumped from a moving car! The fact the he is about to turn thirty years old is a miracle! She was a single mother raising the both of them, and I bet if she's had acess to something like this it would have been a big help. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. What a wonderful, informative post to share awareness, Kerri!

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  5. One of my foster daughters was an eloper. For four years, I never slept! I can definitely imagine the stress and the constant worry! Heading over to the site. I'll spread the word. Thank you for the info. And for the beautiful post!

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  6. Wow, this is inspirational! One of my professors had to spend 30K on a security dog because of her diagnoses. I'll definitely help spread the word! Thank you for sharing this story.

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  7. Thanks for this post. I donated and shared out on Facebook. I hope he gets that dog.

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  8. This is a great post... I am heading out to the link now and will share via social media.

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  9. Zach is adorable.
    I wish him happiness. This is a beautiful post, Kerri.

    Am sharing it across and will go over the link to make my little contribution.

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  10. Zachary is just adorable! I can't believe there's no aid for Zachary's family so they can get a dog to help him.

    Not only would a dog be great for keeping Zachary safe, but it would also provide companionship. I've heard that people with autism can feel a terrible loneliness (from folks with Asperger's, a sort of high functioning autism.)

    I really hope Zachary's family is able to raise the money needed for a service dog. Such an inspirational story, thank you for sharing!

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  11. Lovely, Kerri! The whole thing from beginning to end. I felt my heart leap when I read that Zach held Boo's hand for the first time! So sweet. And so wonderful of you to use your blog to help raise awareness.

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  12. Zachary and Boo sitting in a tree?? hehehe just kidding. Definitely going to spread the word for Zachary. This is very nice of you, Thanks Kerri!

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  13. Service animals are one of the greatest gifts that we have been given as humans! So glad they found an agency that can help them. Heading that way and sharing on social media.

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  14. So so scary and sad that trained service animals are so expensive. Thanks for sharing, Kerri!
    And um. Tucker's jealous.

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  15. What a cutie! I'm Tweeeting, FBing, Stumbling and what ever else I can do. Maybe we should get a dog if they can help calm meltdowns!

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Thanks for stopping by and letting me know what you think!