Help raise funds for a Therapy Dog for Willow to recover from severe anxiety and an eating disorder (ARFID)

Our 6-year-old daughter Willow has always lived with serious food allergies, but as Auckland went into the second Covid-19 lockdown in August 2020 she developed severe anxiety, and an eating disorder called Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

When Willow stopped eating and drinking, we spent several weeks in Starship hospital where she needed an NG tube to feed and hydrate her. For Willow, the disorder means that she sees foods and drinks as unsafe. She has become afraid of her life outside of our home including school.

While we are working hard to find all of the ways we can to support Willow, the ARFID, OCD and severe anxiety mean that Willow isn’t able to join life outside of the house and is missing out on a normal, happy childhood.

When we learned about Therapy Dogs, we had a very strong feeling that one of these dogs could be a lifeline for Willow. A Therapy Dog is a companion animal used to provide emotional support and help the child have the confidence to get back into life.

Willow is a creative, imaginative little girl who is kind and nurturing and absolutely loves animals. She adores her cat Tinker and would desperately love a dog. She is always in the garden looking for bugs and watching caterpillars grow on the swan plant, waiting for their cocoon to hatch. She loves dancing, singing and swimming and we would love Willow to be able to be well enough to go to a dance class or swim lessons with other children, or maybe even a birthday party.

A therapy dog for Willow would help reduce her anxiety in social situations, ease her panic attacks, help her to return to school, make new friends and be back out in the world again.

We are fortunate that there will be a Therapy Dog available for Willow this year. Please help us raise the funds to cover the cost of this much-needed companion for Willow.

Thank you for your support for our daughter.

Mason and Dawn