MAKES YOU WANT TO SAY "AWE"

[Cathy C. Bennett]

This “heart warming” story just HAD to be shared. Dogs – be they doodles or not – can truly impact our lives in so many ways….

Enjoy

Girl depends on goldendoodle for oxygen

A lot of us are so dependent on our dogs we’d list them right up there with oxygen.

For Alida Knobloch, her dog is oxygen.

The three-year-old Georgia girl, who has a rare lung disease called neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy, or NEHI, breathes through a tube most of the time, attached to an oxygen tank, which is attached to her dog.

Her GOLDENDOODLE, “Mr. Gibbs” has been specially trained to tote the 6-pound tank, and to stay at Alida’s side.

Alida started having breathing problems by the time she was 6 months old, according to an MSNBC report. One day she turned blue and her parents, Aaron and Debbie Knobloch, rushed her to the hospital. Doctors stabilized her, but were baffled as to what her problem was.

Eventually, a specialist diagnosed NEHI, a condition that was only discovered in 2005,  There have been only 500 confirmed cases.

With the help of a small portable oxygen tank, Alida’s health improved, but cumbersome and limiting as that was for a toddler, her parents started looking for ways to make her life more normal.

According to the Daily Mail, the couple learned about service dogs from a TV program and started searching for a guide dog who could learn the necessary skills. When they heard about a trainer in Georgia, with a dog that was available, they moved from Utah to Georgia to work with her.

Mr. Gibbs was living with trainer Ashleigh Kinsleigh, and had finished his initial obedience training when the Knoblochs first visited.

“He had to learn to get under the table at restaurants,” Kinsleigh said. “He had to learn that if there were other animals he couldn’t just go and play with them. He had to stay right next to his girl and ignore all the fun things around him. He also had to build up to be able to carry around the full weight of the 6-pound tank.”

“His job is to go wherever she goes and do whatever she does,” Kinsleigh added. “If she wants to get on the bike and go down the driveway he has to learn to run alongside. If she’s going to ride on a slide, he has to learn to climb up and slide down behind her.”

Experts say that children with NEHI often outgrow the disease, or the condition becomes so mild they no longer require additional oxygen.

[Cathy C. Bennett]

Okay - I have read the comments and I've seen the video, AND I can see it from each side, but here's another perspective. Althought there is speculation that there "could be" a prong collar, and some might think that Mr. Gibbs is being "exploited / mistreated" we don't have those facts now do we? But what we do know is that without his help, the child's life is certainly at risk. I would like to think/believe that (God forbid) this was a situation my daughter was living with, that I would treat Mr. Gibbs like the true "angel" he had become to our family. Tough discussion I admit, but perhaps I'm just a true optimist with an exposed heart on my shoulder. My prayers go out to child, dog, and parents on this one!

[F, Calla & Luca]

We have had multiple discussions on this and why not everything is a s it seems: (

here's one:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/doodle-lovers-must-watch-t...

[Janice Hammond]

I am tearing up. I certainly hope Ashleigh outgrows this condtion.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

that is so wonderful!