When Caleb Howard was young, he had a terrible accident and in the process broke several bones. He also developed a traumatic brain injury which made his condition a critical one. Even doctors doubted that we will survive the ordeal and his grandmother and father were waiting for the worst to happen. There was little hope since the boy who comes from Huntsville, Utah was unresponsive.
Some therapy sessions were recommended to him and that is how Colonel – a trained Golden Retriever – ended up meeting Caleb. Before they met, Caleb lacked energy and was unresponsive. But meeting the new friend changed everything – some awareness and motivation were noted, and the improvement was so steady.
According to Lisa Barnes, an occupational therapist, kids who suffer such serious injuries end up getting depressed and find it hard to get the right motivation to regain mobility. That is where animals like Colonel come in to help, by playing with the patient, one is able to get plenty of motivation.
It only took a month for Caleb to develop the right alertness and awareness, and a steady improvement in his motor skills was noted. It is obvious that the two are now good friends and love each other’s company.
Though Caleb is yet to fully heal, the dog’s contribution to his life so far needs to be appreciated. Watch the touching journey below:
