After completing the application and interview process, Rachel Margaret has been approved by North Star Foundation to receive a service dog specially trained for her unique challenges. But we have a long way to go and WE NEED YOUR HELP!
What can YOU do to make a difference in Rachel Margaret’s life?
DONATE NOW directly to North Star Foundation!
The cost to place an Autism Service Dog to Rachel Margaret is $15,000.
Families are asked to fundraise HALF of that amount, a total of $7,500.
The cost includes the specially bred pup, surrogate boarding and training, all veterinary care and professional in-home training until the pup is permanently placed with Rachel Margaret (usually at about one year old).
So EASY!!! North Star Foundation has partnered with PayPal for quick, secure donations without a processing fee. Just click the PayPal – North Star link above and use any major credit card or checking account. Be sure to put “Rachel Margaret” under “Note to seller” on your PayPal payment. Don’t worry if you forget, Patty of North Star Foundation will send you a thank you note and confirmation of your gift.
Not a PayPal pal? NO PROBLEM!
Please make your check or money order out to North Star Foundation, and send it to the following address:
North Star Foundation
c/o Patty Dobbs Gross
20 Deerfield Lane
Storrs, CT 06268
You can put “Rachel Margaret” in the Memo field and Patty will know just what to do!
DON’T FORGET! Your loving donation is TAX DEDUCTIBLE – North Star Foundation’s tax ID number is: EIN # 06-1589586.
We appreciate your support!
North Star Foundation operates on 100% donations and your contribution toward a placement for Rachel Margaret is the only way she can see this gift come to fruition. We are so grateful that you are here today, supporting RM and contributing to her bright and promising future with an autism pup.
Rachel Margaret is now 8 years old. She was born with 4q Deletion Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that has contributed to multiple challenges for RM, both medically and developmentally. She had less than a 30% chance of survival to the age of two years old but she is a fighter. With hard work and a smile she continues to fight today. While many of her struggles revolve around managing her autism, Rachel Margaret still faces enormous medical challenges ahead as well. She typically spends at least a couple of days a year in the operating room and dozens more receiving care from several medical specialists.
Why a dog from North Star Foundation?
North Star Foundation has been operating since 2000, placing its specially trained pups into the lives of children with special needs. Unlike traditional service dogs, North Star facilitates placement in the home early while the pups are young and can form a loving and personable bond with their child. For kids like Rachel Margaret who live with autism, this is especially so important. RM needs a service dog whose training is based on her personality and her specific emotional needs.
Family Inclusion. North Star Foundation is committed to their placements being equally beneficial for siblings, too! Rachel Margaret and her brother Will (10) live this life side by side. Many of you can attest to the strong bond these two share and the depth of love that connects them. Both of the kids are not only living this unique life with Rachel Margaret’s challenges, but both have lived through their father’s two Afghanistan deployments and now his departure from the family home as he seeks divorce. Patty Dobbs Gross, Founder of North Star Foundation, believes wholeheartedly that our placement is as much for Will as it is for RM. I couldn’t agree more.
A New Life for Rachel Margaret…
North Star dogs are trained as pups both in the home and by a North Star partnering surrogate who supervises the placement process. The pup’s training will be tailored to Rachel Margaret’s needs right from the start! For RM, that means a dog that will allow her to remain calm in otherwise stressful and unfamiliar situations, giving her the ability to feel confident and secure during times of transition – a particularly difficult task for kids (and adults) with autism. Unlike most kids, Rachel Margaret is unable to access the community in ways most of us take for granted. Going to a public playground is not always fun for her. The chaos, unfamiliar faces, sights, sounds, smells, etc., of everyday outings can be physically painful. A North Star dog trained to assist Rachel Margaret can alleviate the anxiety associated with these situations. And that, my friends, would be LIFE. CHANGING. (For all of us.)
THANK YOU!
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for taking the time to join with us in this endeavor for Rachel Margaret. We do hope that this is only the beginning of a truly remarkable relationship between RM and whoever her furball-to-be will be.
Blessings,
Rachel Kenyon, Proud Mama
♥
She inspired a Nation…
Rachel Margaret was the inspiration for the first Congressional legislation ever passed designed to require health benefits coverage of treatments for all military families with autism. It has been an honor for our family to have met so many of you along our quest for better care for all. We continue to be inspired by those who have taken the torch and created a stronger, more inspiring community of many thousands while our family transitions through an unexpected divorce and the continuing special needs of Rachel Margaret.
Loving Paws for Rachel Margaret 