In Their Words Archives Page 3 of 3 - NEADS World Class Service Dogs

Sarah + Edison – 365 Days

Sarah was matched with NEADS Service Dog Edison in 2016. Since then, the two have been inseparable. Edison goes to work and medical appointments with Sarah, they spend time in New York City, and they visit friends from coast to coast. And everywhere they go, Edison demonstrates his impeccable Service Dog training and his devotion to Sarah. Now, Sarah is chronicling her life with Edison and sharing daily photos on Instagram. We’re pleased that she’s agreed to share them on the NEADS blog, too.

What It Is Like Having A Service Dog

I have always been a dog person.

When I was injured in 2011, I briefly entertained the idea of having a dog, but felt I needed to take care of myself more and didn’t want to put extra responsibility on the caregivers who help me. You see, after my spinal cord injury, my life became a constant battle between different therapies, doctors’ appointments, home exercise, and just getting my life back to some normalcy. This took me a little over a year, but even then, I didn’t feel as though I could comfortably take care of a dog. Now that I have Oliver, I somewhat regret not getting a dog sooner.… but then, if I had gotten a dog sooner, it wouldn’t have been Oliver.

In Their Words: I Once Sat in That Chair

I once sat in that chair and I watched,
People around me freely going to and fro,
Parents playing with their children,
As I once sat in that chair and watched.