Sugar Grove family fundraising for son's autism service dog
The Anderson family of Sugar Grove is joining with 4 Paws for Ability to train a service dog for their son Derek, who was diagnosed with autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and several other diagnoses.
On average, it costs $50,000 to train a service dog, and they need to raise $17,000 to help 4 Paws for Ability with the cost.
The family is fundraising and asking for donations to help raise the required funds needed to obtain this service dog specifically trained to help Derek with a variety of tasks.
The Andersons adopted Derek at age 6 months from his 15-year-old mother who felt that she couldn't meet his needs at that stage in her life. At 18 months old, he was diagnosed with autism. As he has gotten older and certain behaviors are becoming more pronounced. The family is looking to find additional support for him. After years of searching for the best treatments and therapies, they realized that a service dog would be the perfect solution for his needs.
4 Paws for Ability, a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency which specializes in training service dogs for children with disabilities, has already accepted Derek into their program.
One of the service dog's tasks would include recognizing Derek's behavior disruptions and stepping in to distract and disrupt these behaviors before it escalates into aggression and meltdowns. As Derek and the dog bond, it would provide stability and a calm reassurance against his feelings of anxiety or fear. Through unconditional love and inherent patience, an autism service dog can help Derek. The service dog also would help prevent and protect Derek from wandering and getting into harm's way.
Those interested in the fundraiser can visit www.facebook.com/donate/262360134302335/ or www.razoo.com/story/Derek. Or you can stop in at any Old Second National Bank location and make a deposit in Brandie Anderson/Derek Anderson benefit account. You also can mail a check with "In honor of Derek Anderson" on the memo line as well. The mailing address is: 4 Paws for Ability Inc., 253 Dayton Ave., Xenia, Ohio 45385.