Mother and Daughter Team

Heather Hellman’s own words:

Edison may not be ready to physically support our daughter yet, but the emotional support he provides his priceless. This fall my daughter’s Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia symptoms have become more severe causing a lot of anxiety for all of us, but in the midst of all of it, this brilliant puppy provided by Mobility Service Dogs West Coast Project is giving her more than we ever imagined. We knew that one day he would be able to support her on her dizzy days and help her to walk, but we didn’t even know to wonder about how much joy he would bring on the way there.

Edison provides unending entertainment mixed with a lot of hope. Edison is all puppy when his vest is off, stealing things he shouldn’t, teasing our other dogs, and getting into all kinds of misadventures. When his vest is on though he is a steadfast and calm companion. He navigates challenging situations with ease, strolling down hospital hallways and sitting through meetings.we knew training him would be a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. He excels at training and my daughter can train him from her bed if she can’t get out of it giving her purpose on days she feels useless. He gives her a new outlet of opportunity to spread awareness of her illness. He also makes something invisible to many, visible which gives us a better sense of safety for her. He brings a smile to everyone’s face when they see him, which makes my daughter very happy. Of course he is also a silly puppy. Recently she said he makes her laugh to the point of tears everyday. 

Edison may not be ready to give our daughter independence yet, but he has given us all a lot of light, laughter and hope. We are forever grateful to Mobility Service Dogs West Coast Project.