By Victoria Stone-Meadows
A Cranbourne West family is desperately seeking help to raise funds for an assistance dog for their daughter Hayley who suffers from intellectual disabilities and mood disorders.
The 11-year-old has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual development disorder, bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
She suffers severe and sometimes violent mood swings that are not only affecting her own quality of life but are causing issues with her family as well.
Hayley’s mother Kerryn, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and dysphonia which stops her from working full time, said that without the help of an assistance dog to keep Hayley under control, she doesn’t know how the family will cope.
“Hayley has a history of self-destructive behaviour and having an assistance dog will mean she has a constant companion to recognise when she is having a break from reality and help to being her back,” she said.
“She was at school until March 2016 when she started making suicidal threats and self-harming at school, she was also becoming very quiet and withdrawn and pulling out her hair.
“It came to a point where as family members we didn’t know what to do, we lost all our friends and everything.
“My parents help but it’s a full time job caring for her.”
Hayley’s father is also unable to work due to a knee operation that went septic and has left him wheelchair bound.
Ms Law said she is trying to get back to work but cannot leave Hayley home alone without some form of assistance.
The Law family is hoping that through a fundraising campaign Hayley can get the help she needs to be able to function better in mainstream society.
“We pulled her out of school and her principal decided to sign for distance education for term four this year,” Ms Law said.
“It’s heartbreaking; you’ve got to decide in a split second if is it ASD or mental illness, figure out what the trigger is, ask yourself do I medicate? Do I wait?”
“What are we meant to do for our kid? You try to be positive but it is absolutely heartbreaking.”
Hayley was approved to receive an assistance dog through Dogs for Life in December 2016 but the family need to pay $30,000 for the two years of training the dog will need to help Hayley.
Kerryn Law said the costs of Hayley’s therapies are already a lot for the family to bear and she is desperate to get the fundraiser off the ground to pay for the assistance dog.
“It’s already the equivalent of a full mortgage repayment a month,” she said.
Ms Law said having the assistance dog will mean the family will be able to move forward and help Hayley progress more effectively in her treatments.
“Sometimes you just want to run but some little comment from her saying ‘I love you’ makes a big difference and you get through that day.”
To help the Law family get Hayley the assistance she needs, visit www.gofundme.com/help-hayley-to-get-a-service-dog.
