Dogs have the unique capacity to drastically alter our lives, and no one understands this more than this five-year-old youngster.
Leon Kirby-Bulner, who was diagnosed with autism and a rare brain ailment, never said a word, and things were not looking good. But everything changed for him once he met a really special dog.
Leon, or Mancub as he loves to be known, has been exceedingly introverted since he was a child, and he has struggled to engage with others, including his own family. But after he met his animal companion, Fern, a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel, his lack of confidence vanished.
“Mancub was locked in the depths of autism at the time — no eye contact, no words, no interaction,” Hayley, the boy’s mother, told THE METRO. “He was hopelessly trapped in his own little universe, but it was love at first sight when he met Fern.
” They instantly became inseparable, best buddies for life. His initial encounters were with Fern, not with people. He had a new glint in his eye that we hadn’t seen before.”
When the boy’s parents saw how close their son and Fern are, they couldn’t believe their eyes. The youngster became more connected to his pet by the day, and he was all smiles whenever he spent time with the gentle dog. That gives his parents reason to be hopeful.
Leon’s mother remarked, “This small little dog made him smile and giggle – all of these feelings that we’d never seen from him before.” “And we realized we’d lost our falconry dog within a few of weeks — Fern was supposed to be his dog.”
Because of their unshakable friendship, the family believes Fern still has a lot to give in Leon’s lengthy path to recovery, so they’ve enrolled her in special training so she can help her mini-human pal even more.
The training session went very well, and Fern is now able to soothe and calm Leon in ways that his parents never imagined possible. The most astonishing development, though, is that the autistic youngster began to communicate for the first time.
“Now, she helps Mancub calm down when he has a tantrum by giving him deep pressure stimulation, she guards the stairs to keep him from harming himself, and she gets between him and the floor when he tries to smash his head,” Hayley stated.
“She provides him with comfort when he needs it, and she has entirely changed Mancub’s life.”
Hayley and her husband Karsten even founded TAP Assistance Dogs to aid other children with autism in the same way that Fern helped their son Leon! You may also follow these two great friends on Facebook and learn more about their incredible story.
0 Comments