Stephen and Mandy

Stephen and Mandy

Our son Stephen has severe cerebral palsy and constantly requires ongoing treatment
including surgery and painful follow up therapy away from home. As you can imagine
this is very stressful and is difficult for Stephan to cope with.
We were lucky enough to have an Assistance Dog provided to our son in 2003 and it
has been amazing to see what a dramatic impact it has had on our family. It has been
wonderful to see the difference Stephen’s Assistance Dog, Mandy, has made in his life
and therefore the entire family.
Mandy is trained to assist Stephen with such things as picking up items that fall from
his tray, pulling off his socks, fetching certain items—eg pillow. The tasks that Mandy
undertakes provides Stephen with the opportunity to be more independent for himself,
and as he grows older Mandy will be able to be further trained as Stephen further develops
and matures and his needs change.
Mandy travels with us when we leave home for treatment, she lies at
Stephen’s feet on the plane and is permitted into hospital with him.
Mandy is able to accompany Stephen anywhere he needs to go. This is so
important for Stephen, the fact that Mandy is able to be with him during
the especially stressful times in his life.
In short, Mandy has become part of our family, she is an integral part of
Stephen’s support mechanisms and we see them being a wonderful team as
he grows up and meets his challenges to make a fulfilled life of his own.