Wish of the Month

A sudden diagnosis of ataxia telangiectasia, a degenerative neurological condition, meant that Jacob’s mobility deteriorated within months: “Within months his ability to walk and stand disappeared.”

Quickly, Jacob lost the ability to walk down the stairs upright. But Izzy was there to make it all better: “She’s a labradoodle, she was such a support to Jacob. She is so intelligent and tactile and would do things to help him. When he had difficulty walking down the stairs, she would stand on each step below him so that he didn’t fall- with no training!”

Life as Jacob knew it quickly shifted. But Izzy helped him adapt, adding joy to her best bud’s life!

As Dad told us: “She’s not a registered therapy dog, but she’s essentially a therapy dog for Jacob!”

Now in year 11, Jacob is busy taking his GCSEs. “Jacob is in his last year of secondary school so a lot is going on,” shared Dad. Jacob now relies mostly on a wheelchair to get around and will need to do more so as he gets older.

Jacob has a lifelong love for dogs, so a dog-themed wish was his go-to choice. But Jacob and his family wanted him to have something they couldn’t do themselves.

As Dad explained “We wanted his wish to be something that Make-A-Wish could help us get our foot through the door with.

Something that we could create that wasn’t about expenses. Something bespoke for Jacob.”

In the build-up to his wish Jacob and his family were buzzing! With a series of mock exams commencing a week after his wish, Jacob couldn’t wait for the break that his wish would provide. As Dad told us “Jacob can find exams quite stressful and the pressure of mocks difficult. This was a relief, and some time to switch off.”

On the day of the wish, the family made their way from their home in Essex to the Redbridge Guide Dogs centre in London, where they were welcomed by the Guide Dogs team. The day kicked off with a puppy training class, which Jacob got to take part in himself teaching all the adorable puppies the necessary skills they’ll need to be successful guide dogs.

The favourite part of the day for Jacob came when he got to spend one-on-one time with the dogs:

“There was a moment when we took Jacob out of his chair and each of the dogs came over to us. They came for a cuddle as we sat on the floor. That was particularly lovely. We got to see each of their personalities. Some were more tactile than others. Ellis was Jacob’s favourite, who was very young, about three months old. He was very cute and wriggly.”

After their puppy cuddle session, the family was taken for a tour of the kennels and later watched the older dogs undergo training. After the trainer showed the range of skills the dogs had learned, Jacob and his parents also got to experience the older pups’ range of skills, including being guided around a set of obstacle courses to see what it was like being led.

Living with a disability makes the hardships of life, such as navigating a busy mainstream school, even trickier for Jacob. But a wish allowed Jacob to feel special amidst a busy time in his life.

As Dad explained:

“For Jacob particularly it’s difficult. He’s trying to fit into a system that was never designed for him. A wish is one of those moments that make them feel special, something done for them individually and that’s precious really.”

Now, Jacob and his family have a bounty of puppy-filled memories that Jacob can find respite in during exam season. As Dad told us: “I really appreciate the time that was spent on this wish, time is precious and it’s a wonderful gift. The guys at the Guide Dogs spent their time to come along and acknowledge Jacob and how best to make the wish happen for him and what he needed. The team at Make-A-Wish UK put so much time organising, emailing, and chatting with us. We’re very grateful!”