Assistance Dog for Olivia

There’s an old saying that goes something like this: If you don’t change the path you’re on, chances are you will end up where you are going. Our path with Olivia has been an amazing and emotional rollercoaster ride … there’s been happiness, frustration, hope and on occasion, great sadness.

At age two, Olivia was diagnosed with Autism and Triple X Syndrome (a genetic condition that results in an additional X chromosome). The world is an overwhelming place for Olivia - she is extremely vulnerable and finds loud sounds and crowded places highly stressful. Because of this, visits to local shops or family outings are often avoided – we would rather stay home than end up with Olivia experiencing a public meltdown of epic proportions. The reality of Libby’s disability is that it is relentless. It doesn’t take off weekends or public holidays.

While having a daughter on the autism spectrum certainly has its difficulties and struggles, there are also many things we adore about our girl … there’s her quirky sense of humour and the fact that she can ride her skateboard better than anyone else in our family. Her interest and love of road maps, drain pipes, kiwifruit, skeletons and mag wheels has taught us to appreciate the small things, to look at things differently. Olivia’s repetitive questions have helped her develop an inside-out, back-to-front detailed knowledge of her special interests (which also helps us manage to keep our “over forty” brains sharp)! She dreams of buying motorcycle parts, working in an ice-cream shop, and someday removing our car hubcaps and replacing them with an expensively shiny set of mag wheels (!) … we dream of Olivia finding friendship, confidence and independence – all with the help of a dog named Nellie. I believe our path is changing for the better.

Nellie will be joining our family in June. A large part of her life has been spent training with Assistance Dogs New Zealand – an organisation that receives the majority of its funding from charitable trust and community-based donations. It costs more than $45,000 and two years, to train and raise one Assistance Dog to be ready for their partner. We are aiming to raise $20,000 which will go directly to Assistance Dogs NZ Trust for Nellie's amazing training to date.

Nellie has been trained to use her instinctive canine skills in targeted, practical ways – she will help reduce Olivia’s stress and make day-to-day experiences achievable. She will provide a safe, grounding presence for Olivia, enabling her to function in stressful environments. Nellie’s presence will also counteract many of the negative social responses we have experienced in the past – the unkind remarks and looks we have battled over the years will undoubtably be replaced with smiles and increased social interaction. Nellie will facilitate a more independent and socially inclusive life for Olivia and ourselves – she will be the link between Olivia and the world around her.

In sharing Olivia’s life with the public, our hope is that it shines a bright light on the wonderful work ADNZ are doing. Please help us with our dream of providing Olivia the opportunity to develop independence, fulfil her potential and safely participate in society without relying so heavily on her parents.

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