Day 406

Was'aka is one of the Bald Eagle Ambassadors at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. We were lucky enough to meet and greet this handsome fellow, along with his female Ambassadors, Angel and Columbia.

Angel had a broken bone in her left wing and Columbia was hit by a car. (During the pre-surgery, they discovered twice the lethal dose of lead in her bloodstream. They cleansed her blood and saved her life.) Neither could be safely released into the wild, so they came to Wabasha to help visitors learn about this majestic bird.

Was'aka was found staggering along the road and, when rescued, was found to have a large tumor behind his eye. The tumor was removed, along with his eye. He was not able to return to nature due to his lack of depth-perception, so he "landed" at the Center to become an Ambassador as well.

As I watched Was'aka, it seemed that he reminded me of something or someone familiar. Gus! Our sweet boy lost the sight in his right eye as a puppy and, after countless trips to canine eye specialists, we accepted the fact that he would not regain his sight in that eye. He has adapted well, but tends to bump into things on his right side and, perhaps, have a depth perception issue as well. Our Gus tends to be timid and hesitant in new situations. We are working on his confidence and support him in every endeavor.

Disabilities come in all shapes and sizes. Some are evident, some are hidden, others are supportable and many are manageable. Every one of them presents a challenge to the one with the disability. Was'aka would not have survived without the help of those around him. Although many might survive on their own, the road to an easier existence often rests on the shoulders of others.

Training Gus has had some challenges, but it has been a labor of love. He tries so hard to please and "melts" when he does something right to garner the word "YES!" Positive reinforcement has been key to his development and path to being a Therapy Dog. He has a disability, but we are all finding ways to "adapt and overcome."

For all individuals with any disability, it is essential to surround them with understanding, love and support. Being a cheerleader for anyone is essential, but for those adapting to life with a disability, it is life-giving.

Was'aka has learned to live with his disability with the help of others.

Gus is learning to adapt to the loss of sight in one eye.

On the continuum of human development, we all have some sort of disability (emotional or physical). We could all use a cheerleader now and then...the more challenging the disability, the louder and larger the cheerleading section needs to be!

When Gus passes his Therapy Dog certification, we will share his story with everyone. Perhaps he can touch lives at a different level than pups without a challenge to overcome.

No matter what, be a cheerleader for those around you who need that support. Nobody ever moves forward in a vacuum. Cheer loud and long!