Kyle Balme"s Assistance Dog Appeal

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Kyle is a 14 year old boy with autism and severe developmental delay. Kyle is non verbal but does communicate with some sign language and some sounds. Kyle was diagnosed at 16 months of age.

Kyle has spent his life living on a sheep and beef farm at Te Kuiti. He has grown up around the woolshed and attending many shearing competitions and speed shears watching his dad "Digger " compete. He loves the repetitive routine of shearing and the noise of the machines.

We experience difficulties with taking him into public ( except shearing competitions ) where he refuses to get out of the car, so the easiest option is to leave him with his sister or elderly grandparents. This is something we can not do forever. we do this because this is the easiest no fuss option.

An ADNZ Assistance Dog would enable Kyle and our family to have a slightly more normal lifestyle. The dog would provide Kyle with constant calm companionship, increased safety when out in public, independence and our family may be able to have some outings to watch his siblings participate in their chosen sports with reduced stress.

ADNZ Assistance Dogs asks each recipient of a dog to raise $20,000 which is only a portion of the total cost to breed and train these truly amazing dogs. Each dog is trained specifically for the needs of each recipient

We are extremely grateful to have the support of the Te Puna Speedshear Committee we hope to reach this target