RJ is 9 yrs, he is Autistic and multi disabled

Hi, My name is Alicia and I am the very proud Mom of a very brave and amazing 9 yr old boy named RJ. RJ has many diagnosis'and has been disabled since he was 4 months old. Some of the obstacles that he conquers everyday are: Autism, Lymphedema of head,face, and neck, Tourette's Syndrome, Movement Disorder (non specified), Auto Immune Disorder, Penial brain mass & so many more. He has overcome signifigant delays with therapy, he receives MLD weekly for the lymphedema and has compression garments, he learned to speak through ASL, and even though he is in a self contained class, he is very bright. He is also the sweetest kid I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He still has special needs and has been approved for a therapy/service dog. This dog will be trained specifically to help RJ for all of his individual needs. Our total cost for the service ... is just under $9,000. The total cost will be given when they are done evaluating all of his needs that the dog will be trained for. RJ's medical issues have really been very difficult. He is unable to spend much time outdoors from the months of April through October due to the complications of the lymphedema with the heat and humidity, not to mention a mosquito bite sends him to the hospital with cellulitis. He has also been hospitalized more than most adults in their lifetime due to illnesses. A cold turns into pneumonia, a 24 hr bug has him out of school for a week, and so on. RJ is constantly stimming, having tics and vocal tics, he does retreat to himself at times. Having this dog will do such amazing things for him. It will not be a pet, we have those. Dylan is trained specifically for RJ to know when he is in distress. He will also help minimize the meltdowns that are heart wrenching to watch and he can't help. This dog will be so much more than any prescription drug could ever be. All of these funds will go toward RJ's balance. We were very blessed that they have found a match for him quicker than anticipated, downside is that we need to come up with the money faster than we anticipated. We are not complaining. Thank you so much for your help. Thank you again for any help whether it be donation or sharing our story, we are grateful! According to Autism Speaks, autism now affects 1 in 88 children with prevalence figures growing. What better time is there to advocate, stand up and be heard?! Become a part of the community. Our Story Our goal is to empower, enlighten, educate and ultimately inspire people to get involved. Hi, My name is Alicia and I am the very proud Mom of a very brave and amazing 9 yr old boy named RJ. RJ has many diagnosis'and has been disabled since he was 4 months old. Some of the obstacles that he conquers everyday are: Autism, Lymphedema of head,face, and neck, Tourette's Syndrome, Movement Disorder (non specified), Auto Immune Disorder, Penial brain mass & so many more. He has overcome signifigant delays with therapy, he receives MLD weekly for the lymphedema and has compression garments, he learned to speak through ASL, and even though he is in a self contained class, he is very bright. He is also the sweetest kid I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He still has special needs and has been approved for a therapy/service dog. This dog will be trained specifically to help RJ for all of his individual needs. Our total cost for the service ... is just under $9,000. The total cost will be given when they are done evaluating all of his needs that the dog will be trained for. RJ's medical issues have really been very difficult. He is unable to spend much time outdoors from the months of April through October due to the complications of the lymphedema with the heat and humidity, not to mention a mosquito bite sends him to the hospital with cellulitis. He has also been hospitalized more than most adults in their lifetime due to illnesses. A cold turns into pneumonia, a 24 hr bug has him out of school for a week, and so on. RJ is constantly stimming, having tics and vocal tics, he does retreat to himself at times. Having this dog will do such amazing things for him. It will not be a pet, we have those. Dylan is trained specifically for RJ to know when he is in distress. He will also help minimize the meltdowns that are heart wrenching to watch and he can't help. This dog will be so much more than any prescription drug could ever be. All of these funds will go toward RJ's balance. We were very blessed that they have found a match for him quicker than anticipated, downside is that we need to come up with the money faster than we anticipated. We are not complaining. Thank you so much for your help. Thank you again for any help whether it be donation or sharing our story, we are grateful! According to Autism Speaks, autism now affects 1 in 88 children with prevalence figures growing. What better time is there to advocate, stand up and be heard?! Become a part of the community. Our Story Our goal is to empower, enlighten, educate and ultimately inspire people to get involved.