MISSOULA — In February, MTN introduced you to Corinna Dahlin, a Great Falls woman working raise awareness of rare diseases. Part of her mission with her company Chronic, LLC is to bring a service to dog to someone in need.
On Thursday, with the help of her longtime friend Jeannette Forrey, that dream was realized for Taylor Wallace, a young girl in Missoula with the disorder known as apraxia.
Her mom Sara explained, “She is non-verbal and her brain just has not created pathways in order for her to communicate. She gets frustrated and it makes it really complicated for her to communicate with others, communicate with us, and to get her needs met.”
A friend of Sara’s sent in an application to 4E Healing Hearts, a non-profit that provides service dogs to people in need. When Forrey - the founder of the non-profit - came across their application, she knew a service dog would be the perfect fit for Taylor.
Forrey said, “Taylor has a rare disease, and this giveaway is in honor of those with rare diseases. It's incredibly rewarding. My non-profit was actually started in honor of my brother, who passed away six years ago. and so to be able to feel like I can continue the light and love I received from my brother and his life is incredibly rewarding, and I feel like each time I'm able to donate a dog, a little piece of me feels as well.”
When George, a one-year-old labradoodle, met Taylor, it was love at first sight.
Sara said, “She loves dogs. We went for three walks yesterday and she played a lot, played some fetch, and she really enjoys being around him.”
Forrey explained, “George has been specifically selected and trained for Taylor, learning to take commands from her voice activated computer to doing deep pressure therapy.”
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