I am the Founder, President and CEO of the Hope for Ethan Foundation. It began as a quest to keep my 3-year old son Ethan, with Autism and ADHD, alive without medicating him. One day Ethan ran into a busy street and was almost hit by a car. An internet search led me to Autism Medical Service Dogs; a relatively new addition to the service dog industry. The dogs are trained to keep their child out of the street and out of harm's way. They are trained to herd their child back to its parents, and in the event the child was lost, the dog could assist in search and rescue. The one catch was the cost: $47,000-$60,000 because it takes three years to fully train and certify a Service Dog. Unfortunately, there are no grants available to assist people with "invisible" disabilities with these costs. It was left to the people to raise the money to pay for their dogs in full. This is how the Hope for Ethan: A Dog for Ethan Campaign was born. After 14 months of fundraising and help from friends, neighbors and wonderful civic organizations, as well as fundraising booths and speaking engagements, my son's dog, Yazzie, arrived by fire truck, escorted by the Police, Fire and EMS with the Mayor present. Both CBS and ABC news were on site to record the event. Yazzie has made such a difference to our family. For the first time in 4 years, I have been able to get a good night's sleep and I can now focus attention on my daughter and marriage. The Hope for Ethan Foundation provides education about and access to Medical Service Dogs for families with children that have Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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