Michael is loving, social, empathetic, silly, funny, cute, stubborn, energetic, and literally loved by all. He is a lover of dogs, babies, sports, trucks, motorcycles, and music - he also happens to have Mowat-Wilson Syndrome.
In 2003, Michael was diagnosed with Mowat-Wilson Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that that can affect the brain, heart, GI system, urinary system, and more. Michael's diagnosis has caused severe developmental delays and limited speech. While he can understand speech, he can only speak around 50 words himself.
"He is very blessed to have three active siblings who fiercely love, admire, and protect him, and a school and community that loves, accepts and includes him everywhere we go."
- Michael's Family
Despite the love and support Michael was receiving from his parents, siblings, school, and community, he was still struggling on a daily basis. Michael also battles extreme anxiety, which greatly impacted where he could go, and for how long. This made family outings difficult, to say the least, and going anywhere other than a relative's house was practically impossible.
In addition, Michael's frequent hospitalizations were becoming increasingly difficult for his family to handle. Michael's conditions also caused him to wander and get very little sleep, which put undue stress on him and his support system.
"[We sought out a service dog] to help with Michael with his sleep, help him stay safe at home and in the community, and ease his anxiety in public."
- Jen & Shaun, Michael's Parents
Michael's family was adopted into the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids family when they applied for Michael to receive a service dog back in October of 2017. As Michael's family began fundraising for their service dog, our team began searching for the perfect service dog prospect for Michael's specific needs.
We paired service dog Lincoln with Michael in 2019, and the magic began.
Michael has grown in leaps and bounds since being paired with his new best friend, Lincoln. Restful nights were far and few between before Lincoln, but with his service dog at his side, Michael will now go back to sleep without resisting when he wakes at night. Attending events and being in crowds was terribly difficult for Michael, but Lincoln has helped make these activities bearable, and sometimes even fun!
Michael's parents would recommend W.A.G.S. 4 Kids' services to others, not just because of the results they've seen in Michael, but also because of the organization's personal service and availability for in-home training. They were very appreciative of the personal touch Director of Programming, Lisa Schultz, took in helping train the staff at Michael's school, which the staff found to be immensely helpful.
"Lincoln has brought Michael responsibility, and has helped him become more active and exercise more. Not only that, but Lincoln's presence has resulted in Michael becoming more verbal and expressive: he likes to command his dog!"
- Jen, Michael's Mom
Michael's family constructed this video for our annual fundraising gala in order to show our attendees and supporters just how much Lincoln has changed Michael's life. Watch their video below:
We love sharing stories like Michael and Lincoln's - and we want to share more. Our ability to change the lives of these children depends on the generous support of others. No matter the size of the donation, our donors can rest assured that they are helping us create joy and friendships that change lives for the better. The need doesn't stop during a time of crisis and neither will we. Please help - however you can.
Check in next Thursday for Part 3 of our 2020 “A Thankful Thanksgiving” blog series.
If you’d like to change the life of another child in Michael and Lincoln’s names, please click the button below to make your online donation today. Along with us, you are “Growing Possibilities, One Child at a Time.”