'She would have been dead': Dog to help save autisitc NSW girl
After two near-death experiences, the NSW family of a young autism sufferer have called on the public to help, fearing the next one could be fatal.
Freezing, lost and alone in the middle of Gosford bushland, police helicopters and search dogs found Emma Miceli “curled up in a ball”, in September 2016.
The 23-year-old has severe autism and an intense anxiety disorder, requiring one-on-one constant supervision. Without it, she sparked two major police search and rescue operations within six months.
“If they hadn’t found her she would have been dead by the morning,” her mother, Cindy, told 7 News Online.
“The biggest challenges are coping with her autism, especially keeping her safe as she wanders off and has no concept of danger.
Unable to find a permanent group home that she so desperately requires, her nervous mother, Cindy, has called on man’s best friend to help save her disabled daughter.
A chocolate Labrador by the name of Kate is currently in training to become an autism service dog that would never leave Emma’s side but more importantly would alert Cindy should Emma wander off.
“She’ll be trained to distract her when the panic attack or meltdown starts, help to ground Emma during an attack and be a support when she is recovering,” Cindy said.
“She will be taught to block her if she goes to walk out in front of a car. It will be taught to alert carers by barking if Emma tries to leave the home or disability day program.”
Unfortunately the process is far from cheap and there is even a chance that Kate will not pass the assessment.
A crowd-funding page has been started to help cover the mounting costs associated with training and caring for Kate, with the family seeking $23,000 to help.
"Panic attacks and autism meltdowns are a regular occurrence, meaning that on any one particular day her carers may need to deal with between 30 minutes and hours of Emma screaming inconsolably or banging her head against the wall or floor.
"Emma's current assistance dog Bailee has to be retired for health issues and the cost of training the new assistance dog for Emma is anticipated to be between $25,000 and $30,000."
The family is holding out hope for Kate after their initial dog Kahlua failed to pass the assessment process and had to be rehomed.
