TRIBUTE TO BEN NICKELL & HIS THERAPY DOG, BETTY

BY BEN'S DAD*

*Walt Nickell, graduate of the
Fear of Writing Online Course

Oh, how to describe my son, Benjamin Nickell?

Benjamin is a happy, silly, 10 year-old boy with a wonderful smile and smoky grey eyes. He is tall for his age and very athletically gifted. He’s in the 4 th grade and loves going to school – sometimes. He loves pizza, hates peas, and tends to be uncomfortable when people watch him eat. In short, he’s like a hundred other ordinary kids you probably know. Except, in many ways, Ben is not ordinary at all.

Ben has Autism, and while we try not to let that diagnosis define who he is, it can be difficult to see past the Autistic tendencies. He has massive headaches and other phantom pains that we cannot explain or understand. He likes to tap things with drinking straws, uncooked spaghetti, or the thousands of pens and pencils he’s swiped from my desk over the years. In fact, to Benjamin, our entire house is one giant drum set and he has a never-ending solo.

As a baby, Ben had language. He could count, say his ABC’s, and said a lot of other things, including the names of the rest of his family. Then, when he was just over a year old, he stopped talking. Completely. And he didn’t speak again until just about a year ago.

What happened a year ago? Well, that’s when Assistance Dogs of America, Inc. (ADAI) provided Ben with a highly trained Therapy Dog by the name of Betty. Betty quickly moved into our house and into our hearts. Ben was reluctant to bond with her at first, but Betty persisted in her efforts to become his friend and now they are virtually inseparable. She is Ben’s best friend and nearly constant companion. They play together. They share a bedroom and often a bed. They also, despite our best efforts, often share Ben’s meals.

Betty has had an amazing impact on Benjamin. She gives him unconditional love and never asks him to do more than he is capable of or willing to do. She doesn’t question him about what’s wrong when he cries. She simply loves him and does her best to make him happy and keep him safe.

For his part, Ben has started to speak a little bit. It doesn’t happen everyday, and his voice is not always terribly clear, but it’s a start. Sometimes we hear Mommy. Sometimes Daddy. Sometimes it’s his brothers’ names. More often than not, though, what we hear is “Betty!” or “Doggy!” And those words can simultaneously make us smile and bring tears to our eyes.

The good folks at ADAI have placed a large number of Service and Therapy Dogs with both individuals and organizations. One of their dogs, “Magic,” is in a school system where he is helping hundreds of students. In addition, Magic visits patients every Tuesday at Mercy Hospital in Tiffin, Ohio.

Magic is now entered into a contest with the Bissell Vacuums Company. If Magic wins, Bissell Vacuums will donate $10,000 to Assistance Dogs of America, which will help ADAI place more even more dogs like Magic and Betty with people who desperately need the devotion, love, and affection these marvelous animals can provide.

We’re asking as many people as we can to vote for Magic by clicking the link below. It is a simple process that literally takes less than a minute to complete. And if you know anyone else who might be willing to cast a vote for Magic, please forward this information to them. Please note, however, that the voting ends on Monday, March 24th, 2008, so we need as many quick responses as we can get.

Who knows how many people we may touch? People like the students at Noble and Washington Elementary School. Or the patients at Mercy Hospital in Tiffin, Ohio. Or like my son, Benjamin, whose new best friend is helping him to find his voice once again.

MARCH 26 UPDATE: THE VOTING RESULTS

From: Patty Gelb - Assistance Dogs of America, Inc.

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL FOR YOUR VOTES!

We just found out that Magic won week 11 of the Bissell Vacuum cleaners Most Valuable Pet Photo Contest. He is one of the finalists for the grand prize of $10,000 to the charity of Magic’s handler’s choice (she chose Assistance Dogs). And, if he wins he will become the dog on the packaging for one of Bissell’s pet hair removal vacuums.

We don’t know what the next steps are yet. The handler for Magic promised to send us the details as soon as she finds out. We aren’t sure if it will be a vote for the finalists or if Bissell will select based on the finalists. I will share the details of what happens next – but we are all very excited that Magic won the finalist spot for week 11! Thank you for taking time to vote!

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