An Autism Service Dog For Keagan Berding

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A nonprofit fundraiser supporting

4 Paws for Ability Inc
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Keagan is an energetic boy who has issues with eloping. A service dog would help keep him safe!

$17,000

raised by 26 people

$17,000 goal

Very Busy Week!

Update posted 2 years ago

We have had a very busy week for Mr. Keagan!  First, our story in the QC Times was amazing. You can read it here --> https://qctimes.com/news/local/bettendorf-family-raises-money-for-service-dog-to-help-comfort-son-with-autism/article_ac246f54-b8a4-59e2-980a-9894cad3f82f.html

The article caught the attention of Congresswoman Marinette Miller-Meeks and she talked about Keagan and 4 Paws for Ability on the floor of the US House of Representatives!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1McaZz-oJjk

And lastly, we met some great people, Joe & Kayla Evanovich that made an awesome contribution to Keagan's fundraiser.  

This has been an overwhelming week and I am at a loss for words on how to express our appreciation for all the attention that our son is receiving. People are truly amazing. 

Thanks to every single person who has shared our fundraiser, purchased a shirt, and donated!

Meet Keagan

Hi! This is Keagan. He is 6 years old and was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was 2 years old.  Like many kids on the Spectrum, Keagan also has sensory processing issues and anxiety. He is also non-verbal. Little things that we overlook everyday can be very difficult for Keagan to process but he tries really hard to not let it bother him. He loves to play with his cars, magnatiles, and kinetic sand.  He is a boy so he LOVES being outside and getting dirty. But sometimes he isn’t able to handle overwhelming situations.  Sometimes, despite how hard he tries, he can’t process his surroundings and he tries to escape.  Sometimes he wants so much to play with his peers but he can’t stop running. And sometimes in those situations he seeks out and cuddles with our dog Cooper.  And while Cooper is a good boy, he’s not trained to be in those kinds of situations.  We believe that a properly trained service dog will allow Keagan to be his best self more often and give him the ability to do the things he loves more. 

Why A Service Dog?

Recently, we had one of our worst days as a family.  The combination of Keagan’s ASD, being non-verbal, and his difficulties with sensory processions leads to a lot of eloping and escaping.  We have implemented all sorts of security measures to help keep Keagan safe but one Saturday afternoon in July, Keagan was able to find himself outside of the house all alone. He was outside for less than one minute before we noticed but it was almost too late.  By that time he was nowhere in sight. What followed was a chaotic 30 minutes of searching, police, and so many emotions.  Thankfully one of our neighbors saw him and alerted us to where he was.  This moment was a turning point for us as a family and we had to do more.  Despite how much we already do to keep him safe, it wasn’t enough and we needed to figure out how to do more. This is how we found 4 Paws for Ability and the amazing service dogs they train.  Having a dog that has the ability to help Keagan with his anxiety but also be trained to help with eloping and, if the worst were to happen, track Keagan if he is lost would be life changing for him. 

How You Can Help

It costs 4 Paws between $40,000-$60,000 to raise, train, and place a service dog. Our family has to raise $17,000 of that to pay for a service dog. If you decide to help us reach our fundraising goal, we really appreciate it. Every donation helps, no matter the amount, and every share puts us that much closer to our goal. 

This fundraiser supports

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4 Paws for Ability Inc

Organized By Ryan Berding

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