SIX-YEAR-OLD DEREK SWANSON, who has mitochondrial disease, smiles as his dog, Dory, licks his face in their Avondale home Feb. 2. Derek recently received Dory, who accompanies him at school and around the house, from the Southwest Region of Canine Companions for Independence.
Avondale boy with mitochondrial disease gets new companion
by Beth Kristin Ott
assistant editor
Derek Swanson loves his dog, listening to music and strawberry ice cream. He thinks bodily noises are hilarious, and what 6-year-old boy doesn't?
Derek experiences the world in a different way than his peers and even his twin sister, though.
The Avondale boys suffers from mitochondrial disease. It affects his sight, speech and motor skills. Derek's usually in a wheelchair, or in the arms of his family.
When Derek got his very own dog several months ago, it meant much more than having another family pet. Dory works for Derek. The lab/golden retriever mix is dedicated to assisting the boy and offering him comfort.
"She calms him down," Derek's mother, Lisa Swanson, said, petting her son's loyal companion. "She will pick up things he drops. She goes to church with us, to all of his doctor's appointments and she can push the handicap buttons to open doors."
Dory is one of 50 assistance dogs placed by the Southwest Region of Canine Companions for Independence in 2009. Derek, his mother and Dory graduated from the training facility in Oceanside, Calif.
One of the most important things Dory does for Derek is something she wasn't trained to do, Swanson said. The family quickly noticed Dory is a link between Derek and the community around him. While people may be intimidated by Derek's disability and the high-tech chair he rides in, his dog seems to make him more approachable.
"People treat him differently with her," his mother said. "They don't notice his chair and communication device as much. It's him and Dory. And he knows when people pay attention to him and which ones write him off."
Derek cannot play with others the way an average 6-year-old would, but interaction makes his eyes light up.
"Children with disabilities experience social isolation. The friendship of an assistance dog may be even more impactful when children are excluded by their peers or unable to have the typical childhood experiences due to health challenges," said Katie Malatino,
spokeswoman for Southwest Canine Companions for Independence.
Against all odds
As Derek's parents plan a seventh birthday party for their twins, they have much more than balloons on their minds. Each birthday is a gift to the family, Swanson said.
"He's outlived every prediction they ever set," she said, holding Derek on the living room sofa. "You just keep outfoxing all the doctors, don't you D?" she asked him.
Derek's primary methods of communication are nods, smiles and little noises. He has few words.
The Swansons have heard just about every year they may be reaching Derek's life expectancy, at one year, two years, three years ... and Derek has perservered.
Easing his pain and making him happy are Swanson's primary goals, she said. Dory now plays a large role in that.
When Swanson says, "Dory, visit," the dog lays her head at Derek's side, allowing him to snuggle with her. When Swanson says "sock," the dog tugs the socks off of Derek's feet, making him erupt in giggles.
At 58 pounds, Dory outweighs her pal by 25 pounds. She is like a gentle giant around him, though. She lumbers around the yard while playing with Derek's sister, Sara. When she approaches Derek, though, she is quiet and soft in her movements.
While Sara bursts with energy around Derek, she knows he has a disease that she doesn't. She dotes on the boy, more like a big sister would. She brings him things, kisses his head and does what she can to ellicit a smile from him.
When Derek lost his first tooth in January, Sara was overjoyed for him, their mother said. The family takes all of the simple joys they can get.
MRIs show that Derek's disease has progressed. However, doctors have been unable to pinpoint the specific DNA that is afflicted. So, the family may never know if Sara is a carrier for the genetic disorder.
For now, she's too busy being a first-grader to worry about such things.
And because she knows Dory is Derek's dog, with an important job of looking after the boy, even sleeping at his side through the night, Sara has her own canine pal. Her dog, Molly, is also able to give Dory some doggy downtime playing in the yard.
Dory has already had to accompany Derek during a hospital stay. She sat quietly at his side as he endured tests and treatments. And some nurses didn't even notice the dog was there, which is the ultimate compliment, Swanson said.
"Dory is a motivator for Derek to complete sometimes uncomfortable therapies, and she is able to take Derek's mind off of his discomfort," Malatino said.
When he's simply lying on his mat on the living room floor, Dory is to Derek what any dog would love to be: a boy's best friend.
Excellant!!! Derek is my nephew, and a very special boy with many gifts. Joy...comes to mind. He meets most of us with a cheerful smile and grounds us with a fragile reality check...life is a Gift. Share it with others to the fullest and glean all you can from your experiences. Family and friends are keen. COMMUNITTY, we all make it! If each of us would participate fully , and share their talents God's given to each of us the WORLD will be a better place.
