Zarro Family Story

Gifts from Shade

On March 28, 2008 my family was given a gift from Guiding Eyes for the Blind. We were given the first ever Guiding Eyes-Autism Service Dog, for my son Danny. Her name is Shade.  Shade was given to my family on that day; but since then it has been our very special Shade, that has been delivering gifts to us.

Shade has given my son Danny the gift of companionship. Shade is never too far away from Danny. She sleeps in his room, keeping him safe and secure. She comes to wake me (or lick me is more accurate) when Danny stirs or gets out of bed during the night. Shade had joined Danny in his therapies, becoming an active part of his speech sessions, physical therapy, social skills class, and ABA therapy. When we do medical interventions with Danny; Shade is right by his side too.  She sits at his feet during Ivs. She lays on the floor close to him during hyperbaric oxygen treatments. Shade joins Danny in play as well. To see a 65 pound lab on a trampoline with four jumping kids is quite a sight; and one that happens in our home on a daily basis. I have picture proof that Shade has joined Danny on wheelbarrow rides, down slides at the playground and even on a see-saw (Danny going up and Shade going down!). For a child who often will wander or play alone, Shade’s constant companionship is a wondrous and most joyous gift.

Shade has given Danny the gift of safety. They get tethered together and travel like two old friends. Danny will not stray from his dog and Shade will not stray from his Danny. This is absolutely a priceless gift. Danny, Shade and I are becoming quite a trio as we navigate through stores, across busy streets, browse bookstores. Basically, we go wherever we want to.  I do not limit our excursions anymore. Since Danny’s diagnosis, I was living with a constant fear that I would lose Danny and that he would wander away.  I was on constant watch, everywhere I went I worried that he could be gone at any second.  Now I know that I have an extra set of eyes on him and four extra legs. I can do the “typical shopper” things like read a label, search for a product or wait in a line.  It is hard to explain what a gift this is, because most people take this for granted.  I can watch my daughter’s soccer game with full attention.  I can have a conversation with a friend that I bump into out in public.  For a parent with a child on the autism spectrum, being away from the security of home is a very stressful occurrence…not anymore for us.

Shade has given Danny the gift of celebrity. For a child who does not seek out social situations, Shade brings social situations directly to Danny. She is a magnet that people are drawn to. Danny is constantly put into scenarios where he is given the opportunity to introduce his dog, join in on conversation and make new friends.  One day at the playground, I heard one little boy say to another, “There is that cool kid with the dog.  Let’s go play with them!” Ten minutes later, there were seven kids and a dog on the grass playing duck-duck-goose. Danny was right in the mix, tapping kids on the head and making his dog the “goose”. Danny teaches people on a daily (if not hourly) basis how to feed his dog treats and how to hold on to his dog.  He is gaining confidence in his ability to interact with others and willingly shares his dog with everyone he meets.

Shade has given Danny the opportunity to be more active, more coordinated and more independent. When my family would go on walks, Danny would get easily distracted and fatigued.  He would lag way behind us and ultimately one parent would be with Danny and one parent would be with our two girls. We always needed a “divide and conquer” strategy. When Danny is tethered to Shade, it is poetry in motion. Danny picks up his pace, and stays with Shade and the family. Danny walks with pride and confidence. Since Shade was given to us that day in March, Danny has not had to use his stroller. I can’t tell you how much it used to bother me to put my five year old in a stroller. Danny had outgrown it long ago; but it was a necessity for safety issues and physical strength reasons. I can say with pride that Shade has replaced that ugly grey stroller that I resented so much.

Danny is not the only recipient of Shade’s gifts. My two daughters have had a smile on their face since that day in March.  They consider themselves lucky to have a brother with autism, thanks to Shade. They are seeing first hand that all people are different and it is our differences and how we embrace them, that make us who we are.  Through her actions, Shade has warmed all of our hearts, taught us about unconditional love and how to accept the unique differences in all people. Shade’s gifts continue to grow with time. We have had her just four months and already she has brought such joy into all of our lives. I can only imagine the greatness that the future holds.

Shade has taught me how to stay more in the moment. I am slowing myself down more now to witness the beauty around me. A little nudge from Shade’s wet nose and I am caressing her soft ears. My stress and worries all fall to the wayside, as I spend time with my dog. When I told people that we were getting a dog, they thought we were crazy. The common refrain was: “Why would you want to add another stress in your lives?”  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Shade has not given me more stress; she has taken my stress away.  Am I still worried about Danny and the future that is in store for him? Yes. I think I will always be. It’s just that I have a different vantage point now. I see hope.

I have witnessed healing: in my heart, in Danny and in my family.

I see us all walking into a bright future, hand in hand, and tethered to a beautiful black lab wearing a bright blue Guiding Eyes Autism Service Dog vest.

Thank you Guiding Eyes!

With love and gratitude,

The Zarro Family
Tricia, Ernie, Maddy, Kylie, Danny & Shade