Ten years ago we were blessed with our first child, Annabelle.  Since her birth, she has grown into a tall, beautiful girl with a sparkle in her eye and a great love for life.  She enjoys attending Matt Arthur Elementary with her “typical” peers, family outings to her sister Megan’s ball games, playing outside, and watching any Disney movie.  She is full of energy and life and loves to explore the world around her.

Annabelle has accomplished so much in her life, yet there are developmental milestones she is struggling to reach.  While she is expected to eventually meet them, we do not know when. Annabelle was diagnosed with Smith-Magenis Syndrome which is the deletion of the 17th chromosome. Less than 600 children worldwide have been diagnosed with this.  Annabelle still has no concept of environmental dangers, such as traffic, drowning, or the ill intentions of a stranger.  In addition, Annabelle can have a difficult time communicating with the world around her.  She actually has a very large vocabulary, but with her speech delay and apraxia she is difficult to understand. It can be difficult for her to communicate her needs, wants, and desires and this is frustrating for Annabelle and she will often have “melt-downs” as a result. One of the things Annabelle is famous for is her wandering.  She has escaped the backyard, our home – the list could go on and on.  When this happens, Annabelle is subject to potentially dangerous situations if she is not found quickly.  Most children respond to their parent’s calls when they can’t find them, but Annabelle does not.  As a result, very close tabs are kept on Annabelle and the stress level of mom and dad are extremely high when in public places and while it decreases at home, it is always present. We want nothing more than to keep Annabelle safe and help her be able to communicate with the world around her.  After doing a great deal of research, we believe an assistance dog for children with special needs will help Annabelle grow and develop in ways we may never be able to.  That’s where 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. comes in.  They have accepted Annabelle into their program and will be training a Multi-Purpose Disability Assistance Dog specifically trained for her needs.  It will cost 4 Paws $13,000 to train Annabelle’s dog and we are responsible for raising these funds.  By supporting 4 Paws for Ability, you will be giving Annabelle a constant, trusted companion that will be able to help her re-focus, to calm her and prevent meltdowns, and to keep her from darting into a busy street.  Furthermore, if Annabelle were to wander off, her dog will be trained in search and rescue and will be able to help us find her and bring her back.  Support comes in many different ways, so please follow your heart.  We welcome your financial gifts or your assistance in fundraisers we will be hosting.  If you would like to assist with a fundraiser, we need donations of goods and/or services for our raffle and silent auction, volunteers for our spaghetti dinner and baked goods for our bake sale.  Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated.  If you would like to help by making a monetary donation, please send your tax-deductible donation payable directly to 4 Paws for Ability and write “Annabelle Whitaker” in the memo portion of your check (an addressed envelope is included).

We greatly appreciate your support!  If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (478) 447-6673 email us at hnwhitaker@comsouth.net.  If you have questions about 4 Paws, please visit www.4pawsforability.org or e-mail the Director, Karen Shirk, at karen4paws@aol.com.

If you would like to help Annabelle please make your generous tax deductible donation via U. S. Mail or by making on online donation.U.S. Mail Donations

Please send your check to: 

"4 Paws for Ability"

253 Dayton Avenue

Xenia, Ohio 45385

We need you to put "Annabelle Whitaker" in the memo section of your check, so Annabelle will receive credit for the donation.