Eli and Quilter

Eli and Quilter

Eli's Story

Eli is a wonderful 13-year-old young man with an interesting and remarkable story. He has been on a miraculous journey his whole life and this is the beginning of the next chapter.

Eli began having seizures when he was 17 months old and these quickly progressed to become life-threatening. After much testing and trying several medications, it was determined that the best thing for Eli was brain surgery to try and stop them. On May 17,1999, Eli underwent a modified hemispherectomy, the removal of most of the left side of his brain. This surgery left him seizure free, but paralyzed on the right side of his body and without speech. He has, over the last 11 years regained his speech, his ability to walk and much use of his right hand, in what we feel is a remarkable recovery.

But this world is a two-handed world and in our desire to allow him to be as independent as possible, we recently applied for a service dog for him. We hope that this dog will not only assist him in carrying things, opening doors for him when his hand is full and helping him keep his balance when he is walking in his beloved mountains, we also hope that the dog will be a bridge to the rest of the world for him, helping him connect with others. We also know that the special bond he will have with the dog will only benefit him in ways we can't imagine right now.Join us as we move forward through his journey to his dog, and the rest of his life.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Your chance to "chip in"!

You may notice the new "widget" on this page. This is a way that anyone can donate to Eli's Dog Fund and help him reach his goal! It goes through pay pal and is a secure way to donate.

We go to another mini-training next week during spring break, so we will be sure to post an update. This time I plan to have pictures, so you can see Eli working with the dogs!

Thanks so much for your interest and your contributions!

Marc and Naomi
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1 comment:

  1. UnknownMarch 9, 2011 at 5:03 PM

    Pairing Eli with a service dog is a wonderful idea! I can't wait for him to find that special dog that will provide years of assistance and companionship. I'll be happy to make a donation! Eli so deserves this; he is just awesome!

    Mr. Poveromo

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