Contact: Priscilla Knight, 703-392-1580, pknight@novec.com
NORTHERN VIRGINIA -- NOVEC HELPS, or Hands Engaged in Local Public Service, might substitute "Paws" for "Hands" with a new project. The community service 501 (c) (3) organization composed of Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative employees has given $1,500 to help a Co-op couple raise $13,000 for a specially trained service dog for their disabled son.
Doctors believe Jayden White, 5, suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). His birth mother apparently drank alcohol while pregnant and the liquor affected Jayden's development. In 2006, John and Kerry White of Bristow, Va., and their daughters Morgan, 20, and Whitney, 17, took in the fragile, physically challenged boy and became his foster family. They began dealing with Jayden's severe Attention Deficit Disorder, sleeping difficulties, fainting spells, acid reflux and asthma, as well as vision and heart problems. Despite all these conditions and Jayden's inability to feed and dress himself, or speak easily, his smile warmed the Whites' hearts and they made him their own in February 2009.
"Words cannot express what we feel for Jayden," the boy's mother says. "He is the sunshine in our lives every day."
The Whites' love for Jayden has given them relentless energy to help their small, 30-pound son. "We've taken him to every specialist under the sun," Kerry White notes.
The Whites hope now to bring a specialist to Jayden – a dog. Kerry White discovered 4 Paws for Ability Inc., a nonprofit group that trains shelter dogs to help special-needs people in the United States and Canada. The organization also works with the Wounded Warriors program by supplying service dogs to disabled veterans.
Some of 4 Paws' dogs work with FAS children specifically. If a FAS child becomes ill, service dogs are trained to alert the caregivers. If the child wanders off and becomes lost, the dog would track his or her scent. The Whites say a service dog would be the ultimate watch dog and protector for Jayden, because their son needs to be watched and comforted constantly.
"Jayden relies on deep pressure touch for calming him and a service dog would apply that pressure with its body," Kerry White explains. "The companionship a dog like this would provide would work wonders for a lonely child who cannot relate to or play with his peers."
The Whites hope to raise $13,000 by February in order to welcome a service dog to their family this summer from the Xenia, Ohio, canine company. "The 4 Paws for Ability organization requires us to raise funds by promoting their charity and raising awareness for the wonderful work that service dogs do for disabled people," Jayden's mother explains. "Just like any other charity participation, we have asked friends, neighbors, loved ones and strangers to open their hearts, minds, and wallets to help all disabled children be as independent as possible."
NOVEC HELPS donated money to 4 Paws for Ability because Wounded Warriors and the Virginia Search & Rescue Dog Association are two charities NOVEC HELPS has previously worked with. Ginger Hamlin, a NOVEC HELPS officer, said to Kerry White, "Many of us on the board of directors have young children and some of us have special connections with animals, including rescue dogs, so this story really caught our attention. We truly hope that Jayden gets his dog."
Community members can learn more about Jayden White and contribute to his service dog fund by visiting the boy's website, www.giveaboyadog.yolasite.com. Or, they can go to www.4pawsforability.org and click on "Make a Dream Come True." The Whites encourage people to donate to 4 Paws to help the organization raise and train more service dogs. Kerry White says, "There are many more children still waiting for their special dogs."
The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative Hands Engaged in Local Public Service (NOVEC HELPS) is a 501(c) (3) corporation that assists charitable and community organizations financially or with the volunteer resources of employees, family members, and friends. The organizations supported by NOVEC HELPS focus on health, education, youth programs, the community, and the arts. For more information about NOVEC HELPS, visit www.novec.com/HELPS or call Donna Snellings at 703-392-1511 or toll free 1-888-335-0500 ext. 1511.
