All For Caitlin

Walk & Roll For Hope!

2010-03-25T12:28:00.002-08:00

Caitlin & Abrah are doing well. They are bonding more and more and we are hoping to get them out in public a little more often in the next few weeks.

We have started a group in the "Walk and Roll For Hope" on April 10 from 9-Noon in the Wasilla Indoor Sports Complex. No guessing about the weather!

Caitlin now receives support services from Hope Community Resources, a non-profit agency and we are hoping to give them lots of support back. :)

Please consider joining our team, Caitibug's Friends.

http://www.gifttool.com/athon/JoinOurTeam?ID=1442&AID=1014&TID=5902

Thanks so much! :)

Going Well!

2010-02-03T04:49:00.004-09:00

We are in love with Abrah! He is such a great dog! Everyday he is teaching us more & more that he can do. We now are positive that this was the right choice for Caitlin.

Training has been amazing. We feel almost like we are away at a special camp for parents that all understand exactly what we are trying to do--because they are doing the exact same thing for their child in need of a special friend. There are some very wonderful families here.

We have been spending our days doing lots of training. Today we are going to the local mall for the third time for public access practice. Abrah does great.

Thursday is already our last day of class! It is so hard to believe how quickly time has flown by. We will have our testing in the morning, and then graduation ceremony in the afternoon.

I thought that I would be updating my blog daily, but it has been an extremely busy 10 days! By the time I get home from training all day, lots of attention needs to be paid to the girls (and the dog by the girls) so I apologize that I haven't been able to get on more often.

Thanks so much for checking in!

A Tough Decision, But For The Best

2010-01-28T22:56:00.004-09:00

Well, after a lot of thought and observation, we & the 4 Paws trainers have decided that Caitin will be better off with a different dog--Abraham (we are calling him Abrah as this is easier for Caitlin). Abraham is a 1 year old black lab.

Amos was a very sweet boy, but also quite spoiled and high maintenance. While all dogs need lots of attention, service dogs need even more attention--but he was a bit much for us to handle and would require many adaptations to life in Alaska. He became very attached to me and was getting protective to the point that they were concerned that he would likely never fully bond with Caitlin. She had two seizures in bed last night and he did not react to her at all, only focused on me. He has done super well in his training up to this point, but if we have hesitations now, we have to resolve things before it is too late.

As far as Caitlin goes, her condition has changed so much since we first applied to 4 Paws. Now she not only has multiple seizures from Tuberous Sclerosis, but as most of you know, her condition has also progressed to autism. This requires much more behavior modification and tolerance abilities that a small dog like Amos can give her. She needs to be able to hug on and bump up against a larger dog and be provided with stabilization assistance at times. Plus, we never know where this disease may lead, so it will give her further support options in the future with a larger dog. Not to mention that a larger dog is going to enjoy our life in Alaska much more than little Amos will.

Abrah was actually scheduled to go to New Zealand to be a Seizure Alert & Autism Assistance Dog. He is now going to be Caitlin's dog. He is trained in seizure detection and behavior modification, but also in tracking and search & rescue. We hope that the latter is never needed with Caitlin, but it does leave the possibility if we need it (some autistic children become "escape artists" as some lose their sense of fear). He is also trained in harnessing, so he will wear a harness vest when he is out & about rather than a standard service vest. This will allow a special loop for Caitlin to have her own "leash" attachment and be able to hold a leash handle as we walk him too. She will really enjoy this when she is older. There is also the possibility that she could be tethered to him in this way for mobility assistance if it is ever needed. He has received over 800 hours of training, and was a back up dog for Caitlin, as apparently they had some concerns whether she would need more as they had a chance to observe her.

So anyway, as you can see, the rationale to switch dogs is certainly there. While he won't be as cute & unique as little Amos--he will be better for Caitlin's needs--which is the whole point. We worked extra hard this morning and we are already working just as well as everyone else as a team (he is very pupperoni influenced!) and we are all caught up with the class. We go out in public tomorrow (Friday) for the first time for class training at the local mall. He is also allowing both Paul & Ashley to walk him (Amos wouldn't) and accepting commands from both of them. This is important to make an easier transition to the classroom when I won't be there. Emily is loving and hugging all over him and he loves it equally as much. Caitlin seems much more vocal and affectionate towards him. She says his name a lot and is including him in some of her songs. She loves watching his big tail wag and says he is like Clifford the Big Red Dog. Best of all, we believe he was alerting us to a seizure she had about 5 minutes after his behavior.

So there will always be a little place in my heart for Amos, but Abraham is going to be the best dog for her and we are so happy for that. He does have a brother Jefferson in class with us. (There are also siblings Truman, Kennedy, Reagan & Monroe--see a pattern?)

A few days of training under our belts now...

2010-01-27T18:05:00.005-09:00

Well, obviously we made it! The plane ride was very difficult at first for Caitlin--we thought we were headed for a disaster there for a bit--but with a lot of patience (and honestly, some medication) she settled down and actually was smiling on the last leg of the flight between Chicago & Cincinnati.

4 Paws for Ability is wonderful. So many dogs and the staff is so great, caring and knowledgable. It was such an emotional feeling to finally be there and see the other children be introduced to their dogs one at a time. Caitlin caught a cold on the plane. Combined with the fact that the training started when it was still 6 AM "Alaska Time", she had a rough morning and it was not exactly a picture perfect introduction to Amos, but I can tell that she will warm up and he is certainly affectionate enough that I know the relationship will build. It already has in the last 24 hours.

On the first days we have covered basic obedience commands. However, just the basic commands are so impressive! I am of course impressed that the dogs all know the commands and do them so well, but I think I am even more impressed that every parent there (and some of the kids) are able to do the commands with the dogs as well.
Amos & I practice a lot during and after "school". Paul has "girl duty" while I am learning to handle him and help to nurture the relationship between Caitlin & Amos. Ashley has been enjoying coming to training with me. She enjoys watching the other dogs just a much as I do. They are all so beautiful and amazing!

Caitlin has had a very high seizure count since the morning after our flight so we don't believe that Amos has had enough of a "baseline" scent to detect when she has the elevated scent, so he has not alerted us to any of her seizures yet. We must understand that this situation is the perfect "recipe" for Caitlin to have increased seizures & stress. 4 hour time difference is really throwing off her sleep schedule--which is so connected to her seizure level. The amount of commotion yesterday in class totally overwhelmed her sensory receptors (she only spent a few hours there and we knew it was enough and she will likely have very limited time there for this reason). The fact that we are in a totally different place with totally different routine & schedule than normal. Combine all of this with catching a cold from the flight that is making her quite miserable. No one can blame her for being out of sorts and not being set up for the ideal first few days with Amos in her life. With that being said, Caitlin was "stimming" last night and Amos caught right on to that and tried to behavior disrupt her, which is something he is supposed to do. It was actually very obvious what he was doing and hopefully it will be something that will keep her from getting to "obsessed" on certain items and rubbing her fingers raw so often. Amos also slept in bed with Caitlin & I, sleeping at Caitlin's feet. He was so good I didn't even notice him there!

It is so inspiring to see all of the other kids in class, all with their own struggles, but all so loving and wonderful. I have to admit it is nice to be surrounded by other parents that understand what it is like to have the kind of challenges our kids have been handed. The love in their eyes as they are talking about their children is just so heartwarming. I look forward to continuing to get to know everyone and hopefully building some very supportive friendships between our families. There are 14 of us altogether for this class.

I am posting several pics here from the last few days and will post more as time allows. Thanks for checking in! And thanks again to those that helped to make this possible!

Amos comforting a pitiful feeling Caitibug on night 1

Such a gorgeous little guy!

His first photo op in his service dog vest

Trying to distract Caitlin during "stimming"

Look at this cute guy! Adorable Devon with Charm

Sweet Madison & her affectionate labradoodle Arvani

Nicholas & his dog Shane--so lucky to have eachother!

Anthony & beautiful Ladybug doing a harness walk

P.S. If you would like to read another story of a child that could use a service dog, please read Andrew's Hope at http://www.andrewshope.blogspot.com/

And Introducing....

2010-01-16T18:55:00.003-09:00

Amos!

He is a cute little papillon, 1 1/2 years old, specially trained to help Caitlin.

We can't wait to go down and meet him. Make sure you check regularly during the week of Jan 24-Feb 6 as we will update with photos and stories from our "people" training.

So far, Amos has undergone 500 hours of training to be certified! He sounds like he is one smart cookie and we are so excited for Caitlin to meet her new best friend!

Still Waiting...

2010-01-15T20:05:00.001-09:00

We are now 9 days from the first day of our training class, but still don't know the identity of Caitlin's dog. The suspense is getting difficult to tolerate, but we should get the "big reveal" email any time now!

A busy few months....

2009-12-30T14:25:00.002-09:00

It's been a busy few months around here. Caitlin went through several medical tests to gage her neurological damage and how that is affecting her behavioral and social skills. We have noticed some pretty big changes in Caitlin over the last several months and always want to do everything we can for her. It has been determined that she now has static encephalopathy (permanent brain damage) as a result of having so many uncontrollable seizures last spring. This has resulted in a new diagnosis of autism now, which is common with tuberous sclerosis, but something we didn't expect to see. Thankfully she is getting excellent care and has had early intervention with everything, so we hope to help bolster up her strengths to assist her with any new challenges that this may present to her. Thanks to Dr. Brennan and his staff and associates for taking so much time to get a complete picture of Caitlin and how we can best help her!

Caitlin turned "4" on December 15! We then hope that every one enjoyed a wonderful holiday with their family and friends.

We are now busy making the last few travel arrangements to go down for the training to get Caitlin's dog. The expenses sure are adding up! This is a little more expensive that we anticipated, but know that it will be very much worth it in the end when Caitlin has her new best friend to help protect and comfort her. We should find out in the next few weeks who that dog will be, and we will be sure to post the information here just as soon as we find out.

As we get ready to close 2009, we want to sincerely thank every one once again for the help, support and friendship you have given us through this year in order to pull together for our daughter. We will never forget the amount of generosity in both financial and emotional support you have given us! Now on to an exciting and hopefully wonderful 2010! Make sure you check back soon to find out who Caitlin's new best friend will be!

Arrangements Made!

2009-10-29T21:47:00.002-08:00

Well we have purchased our plane tickets and made our hotel reservations for Ohio. It is still a few months off, but we know that time will pass quickly now that the holidays are getting nearer.
Caitlin has been undergoing some more evaluations to see what (if anything) more we can be doing to intervene to keep her life as happy as possible. There have been times that it sure is uplifting to think about having her dog to help her through the rougher spots. We look so forward to that!
Thanks for checking in.

Class Dates Announced!

2009-09-06T09:43:00.002-08:00

Just wanted to update that as the dog's training continues, we have been given our "official" class dates. We will be in "people training" with the dog January 26-February 4. We are very excited to meet Caitlin's new best friend and bring our new family member home after this time! We have not been told the exact dog yet, and will not be told until about 1-2 weeks before our class date as they need to continue to make sure of that the particular dog that they match Caitlin up with will be the best one for her.
Thanks for checking in!

Updated List

2009-06-16T01:36:00.001-08:00

I have added more "thank you" names to the list at the bottom of this page. Again, I am working on including everyone! I have a huge stack of paperwork from 4 Paws to go through and intend to acknowledge each and every one of you. I sincerely thank you for your patience and hope that you understand that this is a very time consuming process. It is in no way an indication that your generosity is forgotten.
Thank you!

Checking In--Miserably behind!!!

2009-06-13T13:13:00.003-08:00

I am so sorry that I haven't updated in a while. We are in the process of waiting for the dog--our "people training" class is at the end of January. We have a little "sneak peek" of which dog we may possibly be getting, but won't know for sure until the training progresses to make sure that the dog will fit Caitlin's needs. 4 Paws normally doesn't divulge which dog you get until just a week or two prior to your class time. Since they are considering placing a small dog with Caitlin, they wanted to be sure that it would be practical for our winters, so they did give us some information. I'll keep you posted as we know more! :)

I am so miserably behind on my thank you's! I do hope that I can get all of them out in the mail by the beginning of July. We did have a difficult May and are still trying to catch up on everything that was put on the back burner until things improved. I hate to have to delay the thank you's, but please know that we do feel a deep appreciation for all of the help and kindness that we received from everyone!!!

Thanks so much for checking in. I hope that you are enjoying the summer so far!

Best Wishes,
Rebecca

we did it!!!

2009-04-27T19:49:00.006-08:00

We had a wonderfully successful fundraiser and silent auction on Saturday and have surpassed our fundraising goal. Thank you so much to everyone who participated, planned and attended our great evening!

I will do a more in depth "Thank You" blog entry (or two or three!) but for now, I would like to give a special Thanks to Brandy Fishback--she cooked ALL 75 LBS of ground beef herself for our dinner! She also set up volunteers to bring desserts, to help with the kids area and just was really my "right hand gal" throughout every stage of planning. I don't know how I will ever begin to thank you enough Brandy!

Thanks also to Gillian Wright, Kimberly Steele, Tiffany Erickson, Cari Lester, Danielle Price, Amie Jacobs, Laurie Racenet, Debi Isel, Heather Lester, Kaylee Price, Lisa Milkovich, Heidi Milkovich, Lynn Cooper, Candice Pitcher, Kami Koecher, Shelly Wurdeman, Jennifer Anderson, Mary & Just Imagine Toys, Cody, Evelyn with R&R Productions for the great DJ Service, Good Shepherd for the use of our church, Taco-Loco for the donations, Shoprite, Costco, The Curvettes, Deb Hamilton, Goose Bay PTA, Snowshoe Elementary & especially Sally Johnson, Gladheart Acres & Harmony, Tummies & Tots and each of the individual and business donors to our silent auction--which will be named later. I know that there are so many others, including some very close friends that have been there to support and uplift and keep us going.

There are many of you that were unable to attend but really helped to make this fundraiser possible by your kindness and generosity. I truly appreciate it.

Finally, thanks to KTUU, especially Dan the photographer that spent most of the evening with us.

We have now filled out the "Doggy Match" Form and 4 Paws For Ability will start the dog selection and 9 month training process. We will participate in some of this process long distance. We have been scheduled for family training at the end of January. We will complete the two week bonding and dog training (more like people training--the dog will be trained!) and bring the dog home with us at the beginning of February. Watch the blog for more details and updates regarding our waiting and training process, and of course photos once we know who Caitlin's best friend will be!

We do still need to raise travel expenses, however those are non tax deductible, although any help is appreciated.

Again, more thank you's to come!

why fundraise?

2009-04-03T23:21:00.003-08:00

I have been asked a few times, "Why do you have to do a fundraiser"? 4 Paws For Ability gives the parents the opportunity to fundraise for their child's dog on behalf of 4 Paws rather than be put on a waiting list for 2-5 years. Fundraising is a requirement that we must fulfill in order to be placed with a service dog. The rules are very strict and must be followed closely.
Fundraising serves two purposes:

1. The community will have a greater awareness and support of service dogs and children with disabilities. By raising awareness, we hope to create a greater acceptance of service dogs and children with special medical and emotional needs. This will also make it easier and more understandable to others when Caitlin is in public with her assistance dog. It is also our hope that perhaps another family with a child in need will learn about the opportunity that these dogs can give to their child as well.

2. Fundraising is hard work! By fundraising for the dog, the families are "working" for the dog rather than just writing a check (if a family had an extra $11,000 laying around)! By fundraising, this keeps 4 Paws For Ability as a Non Profit Agency--and gives the family a sense of great pride and accomplishment that they had such a large part in making this opportunity possible for their child. Incidentally, we will also have to pay an additional $8,000 for travel expenses when our dog is ready for family training.

On a personal note, this whole process is giving me another benefit. I have gained a greater perspective of just how wonderful, kind, and truly generous people can be. I always knew that there were many good people in the world, but I never knew how many good people were walking around in MY world. I have to say that prior to this process, I often felt isolated and at times even distraught over my daughter's situation. Since beginning this process, I feel much more hopeful for the future. So many people are sincerely caring and thinking about our family that we can't help but feel uplifted and positive. I really hope that I can help share that feeling and spread a little additional kindness towards all that I encounter. Thank you for your concern!

generosity

2009-03-31T13:13:00.005-08:00

Honestly, I could sit here and type out wonderful things that people are doing every day! Each and every day brings a new act of kindness or generosity. Today is an especially good one. R&R Productions, http://www.akrrproductions.com/ has just offered their DJ & Entertainment Services for all three hours of our fundraiser dinner on 4/25 as a donation! That means that on April 25 from 4-7 PM we will have yummy tacos, desserts, drinks and now entertainment too! Thank you so much to The Sizemore Family for offering above and beyond what I was hoping for!

Just Imagine Toys has offered to bring some play things for a kid's area to make sure the kids have extra fun. Thank you Mary for your help and ideas! We will have face painting for the kiddos too. We are working hard to get some wonderful door prizes & silent auction items and so far the response has been terrific.

Tickets will go on sale later this week, thanks to LB Color Printing. Prices are $6 Adults and $4 Children 4-10. Please contact me for more details rebeccainak@aol.com and watch here for our list of locations to purchase tickets. Thanks so much to everyone who is offering their support and effort to what promises to be a great event! Of course, a special thanks also to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for allowing use of the building! :)

seems thank you is not enough

2009-03-26T20:27:00.004-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I (unlike my husband) am not a woman of few words. However, tonight I am at a near loss for words of how to explain what has been happening to us over the last day and a half.

First of all, a great group of people in Vermont went to visit Paul's parents after the Caledonian Record story came out that were going to ask questions about fundraising. Caitlin's grandparents ended up being on the news that night in a wonderful story on http://www.lyndonstate.edu/news7/ about our cause and Caitlin's disease. Since that time, the wonderful comments and messages as well as donations have just been so overwhelming to the heart. Thank you everyone so much!

To top it off, on my last post I received an anonymous message to go to this site: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/3/27/713550/-A-Service-Dog-for-CaitlinHappy-Update-(w-tears)(more ) . I cannot even tell you the feeling that I have inside right now with tears in my eyes that perfect strangers could be so, well--perfect.

We are being so blessed with kindness right now for our little girl. Over the last few days her seizures have intensified and changed again, so knowing in the back of my mind that I have so many people praying and cheering for our little girl is really giving me strength. What started out as a distant ray of hope in the form of a dog for Caitlin is now looking more and more like a reality.

I don't know that I will ever have the chance to possibly track each individual person down to thank them, but I hope I do. Just know that no matter where you are that you are very appreciated.

Bless you all.

event news & thank you's

2009-03-24T10:04:00.003-08:00

Due to many requests, we are scheduled for a Dairy Queen Fundraiser in Wasilla now! Please join us by coming in for dinner or a treat Thursday, April 9 from 4-7 PM. DQ will donate 10% of all sales during our "take-over" towards Caitlin's cause. Thanks DQ!

Thanks so much to all that came to the fundraiser dinner & silent auction planning meeting last night. We are organizing our Fundraiser Dinner & Silent Auction on Saturday, April 25 from 4-7 PM. If you would like to volunteer at the dinner (plenty of jobs available!) or would like to donate a silent auction item, please email me at rebeccainak@aol.com . If you know of some businesses that you think may like to donate, I do have information packets and donation information available. We are also looking for entertainment during our dinner, so open to all suggestions!

Finally, thank you to the Caledonian-Record of Vermont and New Hampshire for publishing such a nice story. Thank you to Paul's parents for giving the paper our information. If you are reading my blog due to this story, THANK YOU for taking the time to show concern for our Caitibug!

tummies & tots!

2009-03-20T20:26:00.004-08:00

I was just surprised by Jennifer Green, the owner of Tummies & Tots that she is doing a fund raiser for Caitlin this weekend, as well as giving her customers a great discount for any donation!
Tummies & Tots is located at 321 W Parks Hwy, Ste 102 (near Mocha Moose). She has a great resale shop for babies, children and mothers. Please stop by to visit her shop and please give her an extra big thank you for being such a caring, wonderful person! This is something that she is completely doing out of the kindness of her heart. Thanks so much Tummies & Tots!

For more information, copied from Jennifer's customer list email:
"I just wanted to see if I can get you all to help me out. Tomorrow Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd I will be raising money for Caitlin Racenet. She is a beautiful 3 year old who has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and her family is hoping to raise enough money to get a service dog that would alert them when she is having a seizure and help Caitlin be more comfortable.

I will match any donation up to $500 for the next two days. Also, if you do make a donation (big or small) I will also be giving you 20% off your total purchase.

I will be open tomorrow from 11am-5pm and Sunday also from 12-3pm.

I will also be taking donations at the store until the end of the month....."

thank you!

2009-03-20T01:09:00.006-08:00

A great big thanks to everyone that came out to Palmer DQ for our fundraiser! I am not sure of the total yet, but I know that we raised several hundred dollars for Caitlin's dog and we are very thankful to DQ, the employees there (including my own daughter Ashley that normally works at the Wasilla DQ, but volunteered her time to help at Palmer DQ tonight), and all of the wonderful people that showed up to support us.

We had several friends come out to have dinner, dessert (or both!) to help our Caitibug and we really loved seeing you. It was also so nice to meet new people that are thinking so positively for our daughter. Including The Scott's that drove out from Anchorage without even knowing us, just hearing our story were there to offer their own dog for Caitlin's needs if possible--and Michael that just happened to be in DQ, then went to get his father Denny to come back and share some kind words with us--as well as many other that stopped in to help and offer words of encouragement, the kindness just fills our hearts.

We will be holding a fundraiser at the Wasilla DQ on April 9 from 4-7 PM. The other upcoming event is a planning meeting this upcoming Monday 3/23 at 7 PM. If you are interested in sharing ideas and/or helping to organize the dinner on 4/25, please let me know by emailing rebeccainak@aol.com and I will give you further details.

Bless you all!

Palmer Dairy Queen Fundraiser Thurs 3/19!

2009-03-18T11:26:00.002-08:00

If you are in the mood for some burgers, hot dogs, ice cream or other treats, then make sure you stop by the Palmer Dairy Queen DQ Grill & Chill Thursday, 3/19 from 5-8 PM! DQ is donating 10% of their sales to our cause for Caitlin. DQ is located right in front of the Fred Meyer in Palmer.

Please note that this is in Palmer. A Wasilla date will be scheduled in April.

Also, Caitlin will be there for a short time in the early evening beginning at 5, but please understand that I cannot keep her there the entire time as it is difficult on her sensory system to be in crowded or busy places for very long. Either my husband Paul or myself will be there to greet visitors though, so please stop by our table to say hi. We will have information on 4 Paws For Ability as well as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex information there.

Thanks so much!

frontiersman article

2009-03-13T00:02:00.004-08:00

Thank you so much to the Frontiersman for running such a detailed article on Caitlin! If you are reading this due to that article, we truly thank you for taking an interest in our goal for our daughter. I do want to mention that there was a misunderstanding, Caitlin does not have tumors on all body organs, although this disease has the potential to cause tumors in all major body organs, her tumors are isolated to the brain at this time. If you missed the article, you can see it at http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2009/03/13/valley_life/doc49ba01f690de9221514963.txt
Thanks again to the wonderful Curves Women! I was presented with 1340.00 in checks today towards Caitlin's fundraiser. She really loves her "puppy wall" and the whole thing is just amazing beyond belief!

I have also started selling a special edition of my wax dipped teddy bears with the profit (10.00) of each bear going towards Caitlin's cause. I am hoping to have a picture posted tomorrow.

Please check back for details and thanks again for your concern and any ideas that you may have.

update

2009-03-09T12:02:00.003-08:00

We received our very first total update from 4 Paws For Ability last week. So far, they have received 1895.00 in the office. With the other ongoing fundraisers, that means we have raised 4500.00 in just 2 weeks so far! That is wonderful. Thank you SO much to everyone that has helped and is currently helping to make this possible.

We are working on a place and time for a benefit dinner and silent auction. Please check back soon for details!

Root for Blake Matray in the Iditarod and please pray that he has a safe journey. He is the chairman of the Sled Dog Fund. He is planning a benefit dinner for Caitlin once the Iditarod is completed.

As usual, please let me know if you have any ideas!

Thanks!

happy march!

2009-03-01T10:22:00.003-09:00

Caitibug had a bit of a rough week last week, so I don't have a whole lot of news on the planning front to tell you other than what I have been able to accomplish over the phone.

I do know that on Thursday, March 19 we will be "taking over" the Palmer Dairy Queen from 5-8 PM for a fundraising night. 10% of all sales will go to our fundraiser.
I am looking for the best venue to have a silent auction and dinner benefit of some sort. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. I am also working on a special edition wax dipped teddy bear that all profits will go to her account.

We are looking forward to receiving our first "total" of what our fundraising has raised so far. I'll post it as soon as I hear news.
Thanks so much for any ideas or words of support!

i don't even to how to begin express my appreciation!

2009-02-21T13:57:00.006-09:00

Well, week one is just about over and I have to tell you that my heart is absolutely overflowing with emotion. I just don't even know how to begin to express my appreciation!

Here is one of the stories of how we are truly being touched with kindness. Curves for Women in Wasilla and Palmer is full of absolute angels!!! Thank you so much to Angie the owner (and I am sure she had some little helpers as well) for starting their own fundraiser for us! I only feel badly that I ruined the surprise...she wanted to keep it a secret, but a little birdy told me, so I had to come clean as the little birdy told her I knew. The little birdy was just excited--no worries! I stopped by yesterday to see that Angie has posted Caitlin's story along with several pictures of assistance type dogs. Members are donating for the cause and get their name on a dog and put on their giving wall. Angie said yesterday that so far totals are nearing one thousand dollars, just since Monday!!! I am absolutely grateful and don't really know what else to say except a heartfelt thank you. There were many tears of emotion over this one.

I know that there is much more goodwill both in the community we live in as well as the wonderful community of online friends and family (some we do not even know!) that are opening their hearts to donate or spread awareness. I am deeply appreciative for the donations, but also for the kind words of support and the wonderful ideas.

Thanks Again and Bless You All!

thank you

2009-02-18T02:33:00.004-09:00

So far, the donations are really coming in and we just really wanted to say Thank You. Please check the bottom of this page for acknowledgments. It is so surprising that many of the donations are from people we barely know--or in some cases, don't know at all! Our heartfelt thanks to you!

I am looking for volunteers to send Thank You cards, approach businesses and groups for donations and organize fundraisers! If you are interested, please email me at rebeccainak@aol.com . There is also a lot of paperwork involved and I would appreciate any help in organizing my materials.

Thank you so much!

on our way!

2009-02-17T01:36:00.009-09:00

We have a Facebook page now! If you have Facebook, the Cause address is http://apps.facebook.com/causes/222194/32223582?m=f6a2e5a8 .
We have already received several donations, so we are on our way. Thank you so much to everyone that has taken the time to join our cause! You will find a donation acknowledgement at the bottom of this page.

Thank you for stopping by!

we are excited....

2009-02-16T09:37:00.007-09:00

You have no idea what kind of hope this brings to our family! We are very excited at the prospect of what this dog will mean to Caitlin.
Please check back for current fundraising activities as well as ways that you can volunteer or support our efforts.
We thank you very much for caring!