Have ever you met someone with the confidence and courage to capture the world? This person does not have to be an adult to do so. This person can be a young girl and her dog. Asher and her dog Gatsby are out to win the world. But things weren’t always that way for Asher. Asher has a form of Mitochondrial disease. This kind of disease makes it difficult for the body to
produce energy at a cellular level. This disease can cause migraines, fainting, fatigue and difficulty digesting food. These symptoms are made worse if Asher is sick.
Due to this disease, Asher’s mom, Ka’ea, felt as if she had to monitor Asher all the time.
This understandably affected Asher’s confidence and independence. In addition, Asher’s disease requires her to have frequent medical procedures that require her to go under anesthesia. Asher was anxious and crying frequently. Ka’ea decided an answer would be a service dog. After some searching, she found Eyes Ears Nose & Paws (EENP). Asher and Ka’ea got a substantial scholarship from EENP. But. they still needed $5,000. Ka’ea then found Canines for Disabled Kids (CDK). She found CDK right before the deadline for a scholarship. Kristin Hartness of CDK encouraged Ka’ea to still apply for a scholarship for the dog. Ka’ea was so glad she applied: they were awarded the Good Dogg scholarship for $5,000. For Ka’ea and her family,
CDK was life changing. Gatsby than came into their lives. Being around Gatsby has helped Asher to be braver and calmer. He goes with her when she has a procedure. Gatsby is right there when Asher wakes up from anesthesia. Ka’ea said, “When she is in an anxious situation, she will tell herself this isn’t worse than that (things that she has dealt with and conquered in the past).”
Gatsby’s real superpower is that he is a medical alert dog. He really knows how to do his job. He knows that when his partner, and sometimes her family members, are sick– or going to be sick–they need medicine. When Asher is sick, Gatsby gets the medicine and brings it to Ka’ea. He can also let Ka’ea know when Asher is going to be sick. But it doesn’t stop there. Gatsby will alert to people in stores. There was a time when Asher’s brother was sick, and he was trying to keep it under the radar. Gatsby then went and got Asher’s medicine and brought it to Ka’ea. Gatsby has even alerted to Ka’ea upon occasion.
Although Gatsby doesn’t wear a superhero cape, his effect is still one of his superpowers. Ka’ea said, “I think it (Gatsby’s partnership) lets her be a regular 8-almost-9-year-old.”
by Mike Bramble
