Meet Karen, a mum from Lanarkshire, with canine partner Gooch
Posted 9 years ago in the Our partnerships category
Karen was born with a rare condition known as osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bones. It not only makes her bones fragile but also other tissue, and it causes chronic fatigue. She relies on canine partner Gooch every day.
During my childhood my parents encouraged me to live as full a life as possible, find other ways of doing things. Even though I had a disability I was confident in myself and enjoyed being out and about. I got married in 2002 and had a healthy little boy. A few years after his birth my health began to deteriorate. I needed major surgery and I was in hospital for many weeks.
When I came home I started to worry about moving about and would make excuses not to go out at all. I was no longer the confident person I was. I was diagnosed with depression.
I decided to apply to Canine Partners and I met Gooch! He was so gentle and seemed to know I was fragile – we were matched! When I returned home with Gooch I couldn’t believe just how much this big soppy dog had changed my life. He did lots of tasks for me that I would otherwise not have been able to do. A simple thing like taking my washing out of the machine made me cry. I was feeling like a wife and mum again. We grew from strength-to-strength and we were able to do many things about the house I could only think about before.
In the morning when it’s time to get up Gooch gets his bowl and scales for his breakfast then hands it back to me when he’s finished. He also gets me the boys’ packed lunch boxes so I can pack them but it is after the boys leave that our day begins as Gooch picks up anything the boys have left in the living room and brings it to me; he runs and gets the mail when he hears the postman and if the phone rings he gets it and brings it to me. I have also taught him to help me remove my coat by gently tugging one sleeve then the other. He also takes my gloves off and my boots which he carries to the shoe stand. I can also hang out a wash in summer as Gooch gets any pegs I drop and can pick things out of the basket and hand it to me.
The tasks Gooch does now most people would take for granted but for me it’s the difference of feeling good about myself and independent rather than a burden. Before Gooch I had a fall in the back garden and though my husband was home he was upstairs playing the piano so he couldn’t hear me. I lay there for almost an hour but now Gooch can go find anyone at home if I tell him to go get help.
The biggest change was going out on my own. I go with the boys to school, to the shops and my boys can play outside without worrying about me. I have made many new friends since Gooch came into my life.
It’s hard to put into words just what Gooch has given me back but my family have seen such an enormous change in me. I needed a dog that was steady and not too excitable and he’s that and more.
Now I’m a wife, mum and have self-worth again all thanks to Canine Partners and Gooch.