4 Paws for Albin
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
4 Paws for Ability IncOur sweet girl is in need of a service dog to help her navigate life. Please consider helping her.
$13,325
raised by 48 people
$18,000 goal
Getting closer!
We have had a busy month! We were so fortunate to be able to visit the world's best little brother in gorgeous Vermont. It was so needed. It was quiet, and beautiful, and restful. I cannot tell you how great it was to spend that time without the TV playing annoying YouTube Minecraft videos. Our girl did mostly okay in the car. She had a lot of questions about time (which she does not understand), which was mildly frustrating for us all. We did a last minute impromptu stop at Niagara Falls on the way home. She and her daddy were both blown away!
We then went to KY to see the other side of the family. I was so proud of this girl! We were able to stay with Uncle Brad (who is also a pretty cool little brother) instead of in a hotel, which is a first for us. Albin did great, even with hyper strung Anna begging to play ball every two seconds. We snuck off together to a trampoline park, which was fun but also sad because she was not able to find a friend there. We also went to a couple of beautiful splash pads. At one, there was a girl who was just a bit older than Albin. Our gal desperately wanted to play with her. Unfortunately, she was a bully and instead of saying no, she called our girl all kinds of nasty names, including 'retarded' (which I despite even typing out). Mama Bear wanted to jump in, and almost did, when some sweet teenagers came to the rescue. They played with Albin for over an hour, and the day was saved!
Now that second grade regular school is officially over (thank you, Jesus), we will be able to focus more intentionally on the fundraiser. As the mask mandates lift, we hope to connect with some friends for some in person events. We hope to still have enough connections in the local music scene to have a benefit show as the bands start playing in the bars again. I hope local friends will join us (or one of us, as the other will likely be home with our girl because bars are not a great place for her). Other events are in the works too.
Thank you so much again for all your support! We appreciate the donations and the shares.
Our beautiful girl amazes us daily with how hard she fights to fit in. She was born to young parents who were not ready to care for her appropriately. In addition to a first year filled with trauma and neglect, she is also suffering the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. This has left her with significant challenges due to the organic brain damage. She lives with a preventable condition. It is considered a "hidden disability" that has left her with neurological, behavior, and emotional impairments. Most people do not realize that the FASD spectrum is far more prevalent than ASD and is the leading preventable cause of intellectual impairment. She is predisposed to a variety of over 400 additional disorders as a result of this alcohol exposure and has a 97% chance of mental illness. She has been diagnosed with a variety of not-so-good things already.
We would like to change the trajectory of her life in every possible way. FASD, PTSD, SPD, etc. Those are all just letters and they do not define our hero. A service dog to help with behavior disruption, safety, sensory overload, and so on would be a life changer for her. It will act as a social bridge between her and other children. They will be able to see HER, in all her glory, without focusing on why this girl who looks so "normal" (man, I loathe that world) is unable to understand social cues and acts half of her chronological age.
Let's face it. We are older than a lot of parents with children her age. We are invested in her and will do anything to help her obtain the skills to navigate life as independently as her disability will allow. We need help with this. This fundraiser is necessary for us to reach this goal.
Everyone who meets this girl falls in love with her. Please consider partnering with us to make this dream become her reality. I understand that not everyone can donate. Please, we will take prayers, well-wishers, and good juju in addition to donations. If you are able to do any of the above, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and pray that the blessing comes back to you ten-fold.