A story of love and companionship between a helping dog for the disabled and her young master, Johnny, aged 10, who is in a wheelchair because of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.
The story is told from her voice, as she sees life.
Ginger is my name, and I think I am a pretty special Canine.
I am a Golden Labrador Retriever, and I am a good sized Dog. My fur is a light golden tan (more gold than tan), and I have big, limpid brown eyes and a cold, wet nose that is part pink and part black. I also have a beautiful Doggy smile (I am ALWAYS smiling, it seems!), and I have a heart full of love, especially for my little Master, a Boy named Johnny.
Johnny is ten years old, and he is a Special Human Child who is in a thingy called a Wheelchair because he can't walk that well. He has some Disease that is wasting away his muscles, and because of it, he is very weak and he requires a lot of extra help, which is where I come in. Johnny wears these metal and leather things on his legs that look like cages, and sometimes he DOES walk, but he uses metal sticks. He has had this Disease since he was really little--or ever since I have known him, anyway.
Johnny also has other health problems, and sometimes he has trouble with his breathing and he also sometimes falls out of his Chair and lies on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. I always get scared because I think my little Human Master is in trouble, and I don't like to see him hurt or sick. Sometimes he has to go to a place called a Hospital in a big white car called an Ambulance.
Before I got Johnny, I had to go to a special Dog school, to learn about people with Handicaps, and I had to learn to get used to things like Wheelchairs, Canes, Crutches, Walkers, or whatever; and I also had to get used to being around Humans who couldn't see or hear. When I graduated from Dog School, I was matched with a Human Child, and I happened to get a Little Human Boy named Johnny, who was then 9 years old. He was also dying; he had a Disease called Muscular Dystrophy. He needed my help whenever he dropped things. He and I have been together for 1 year now, and I love him with all my Doggie Heart.
Now, Johnny is my Human Buddy, and he and I are always together. We go to School together, and we go to the Store together, and we go to the Hospital together. Wherever HE goes, I go. We sleep together, and we eat together, and of course, we play together. Johnny is a really good Human Kid, and I love helping him out whenever he needs it. Nothing brings me more joy than to be helping my Little Master, Johnny!
Johnny isn't the only Human in this family: oh, no. Johnny also has many Human Brothers and Sisters, and of course, he has a Human Mommy and Daddy, who love him with all their hearts, almost as much as I love him! There are also other Dogs and Cats, and there are Birds and even Horses; but I don't like the Horses because even though I am a good sized Dog, the Horses are bigger, and if they step on me, it HURTS! Our place is a very noisy place, and I have lots of Animal Buddies I can pal around with whenever I am not with Johnny (and that is a RARE thing!).
However, my Responsibility is Johnny, and my Responsiblity is taking care of him and his needs. I am glad I can be there for him when he needs help; nothing pleases me more than to bring him a little Doggie-style love, and nothing pleases me more than to bring a smile to his little face! He's had it way too hard as it is in his young life; this is why I am here, to try to take away some of the sadness and fear that his Disease brings.
I just wish more Dogs could do what I would do; maybe then there would be less hatred in the world....All Dogs need a Human, especially a Little Human like Johnny, to love! :)
Ginger is my name, and I think I am a pretty special Canine.
