Service Dog for Wyatt Knox
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
4 Paws for Ability IncAs Parents, you want the best for your children. For Wyatt, it's a service dog.
$1,880
raised by 19 people
$20,000 goal
5 months left
Update #1
Tomorrow marks my birthday, and my heartfelt wish for Wyatt is that he experiences safety and happiness. Unfortunately, he has developed profound fears from watching cartoons five years ago, which continue to replay in his mind like a perpetual reel. Specifically, his former fondness for Peter Pan has transformed into a recurring memory of the bomb Hook gave him. Similarly, Jafar from Aladdin and Ariel's father in The Little Mermaid evoke anxiety. We have exhaustively explored medical treatments and therapies, and our next step is to acquire a service dog to foster Wyatt's independence, social skills, and companionship. As a birthday gesture, I kindly request that you share his fundraiser. Even if you can not donate or don’t live near us, please pass it along
Everyone has dreams for their children. Dreams that they thrive in the world. This is Wyatt. Our dream for him is to be safe. Our dream for him is that he doesn't end up being a statistic. Our dream is that we can help him live his best life. The key to achieving that dream is a service dog.
Wyatt loves buildings and learning about them. He talks about the White House, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, etc. Wyatt loves to see how things are built. Like most twelve year old boys, he wants to get out and explore. At the age of 3, he was diagnosed with Autism. With therapies and medicines, Wyatt has been able to improve in so many ways to an extent. He is extremely loving but struggles with his emotions. In social settings, Wyatt is quickly overwhelmed. Like almost half of autistics, Wyatt is a eloper and does not recognize danger. He bolts and dart without any concept of safety or fear. He runs in parking lots, crowded areas or just away to look at something. We do not want him to be a statistic. Nearly 65% of elopement cases involve close calls with traffic and nearly a quarter involve a close call with drowning. Accidental drownings account for nearly 90% of lethal outcomes. Wyatt is drawn to water and does not have a fear of water. Despite practice and teaching him how to swim, Wyatt barely swims and prefers a life jacket to help him.
Wyatt can be overwhelmed in everyday situations, such as going to the store or transitioning from one activity to another and can become frustrated. When this happens, Wyatt may began screaming, engage in throwing items, hitting things which can causes harm to himself. Sensory overload and anxiety are Wyatt's biggest challenges. A service dog will be trained to help calm him in those situations. Even a service dog's presence has proven to help prevent these meltdowns from occurring.
Our dream is that Wyatt can have a service dog to keep him safe doing typical activities. The service dog can help Wyatt while he is at school where his anxiety is at its highest. We want to continue to expand his world and expose him to new things, but we need a service dog to do that successfully.
These highly trained service dogs are very expensive. The cost for the organization to train and place a service dog is $40,000 or more. We need to raise $20,000 for a 4 Paws for Ability service dog for Wyatt. For more information about 4 Paws for Ability, please visit www.4pawsforability.org
If you donate online, please leave your name or send us a message so that we can send you a personalized thank you!
Donations can also be made by check. Donations in support of Wyatt should be made directly to 4 Paws for Ability-be sure to write Wyatt Knox's name on the memo line in order for it to go towards Wyatt's dog.
Checks may be mailed to:
4 Paws For Ability
In Honor of Wyatt Knox
253 Dayton Ave
Xenia, OH 45385