A Texas community helped a mom, Jessica, who plans to buy a service dog for her 14-year-old son who has autism. She believes her son, Luke, needs it to help him build his confidence. It would serve as a bridge between Luke and other people.
Helping the son become more independent
Even though Luke Berridge has high functioning autism, the family wants him to have a service dog to become more independent. The family said that the teen still has anxiety and episodes, so he needs additional help.
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To help the boy stand up for himself, the mom searched for some tips online. After a few months, Jessica finally decided to buy her son a service dog.
Raised funds to buy a service dog
After learning how much that dog would cost, the family decided to raise funds by baking brownies. After just two weeks of selling, they were able to raise almost $4,000.
Everyone in the family chipped in. Luke's sister, Natalie, would make the batter, then he would pour it in trays. Jessica would keep track of the orders and call the buyers. Luke's dad, Todd, would drive, and the whole family delivers. The father said that it was a "full team effort" to get his son a service dog.
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Anonymous donors poured in
Many buyers who did not want to be identified ordered brownies to be delivered to frontline workers. Todd said that they did not expect that many people to help them. He knows that people are in very bad condition right now. He said that everyone is wearing masks and social distancing, but he could not believe in people's good hearts.
Todd said that everyone wants to take part in something good. Some donated money and bought brownies. Then they asked that the brownies be delivered to Fire Station Number 5, the Odessa Police Department, and the Ector County Sheriff (office).
Luke went to the sheriff department and had a great time. Todd explained that it has been great since they have been doing all sorts of things.
See also: How to discipline children with ADHD and autism effectively
The family created a Facebook page, "Luke's Dog Blog." It is where they post updates about brownie baking and dog search. Soon, they will post the dog they have chosen and include his or her name.
Right now, all Luke wants is to let the community know how much their help means to him. He posted that he is thankful for all the people helping him get a service dog.
