Help Sutton Get a Life-Changing Therapy Dog

Dear Friends and Yuma Community,

We are reaching out to you with a heartfelt request to support a wonderful child, Sutton, who is living with autism. Sutton is an incredible, bright, and loving child who faces unique challenges every day, especially with transitions and social environments/interactions. A therapy dog could make a world of difference in his life.

Sutton’s Story

Sutton was born with Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM), a rare condition that occurs when the walls of the trachea (windpipe) and bronchi (airways to the lungs) weaken and collapse when breathing. Navigating the complications of TBM since his birth, his parents were committed to his survival and after years of misdiagnoses, Sutton was appropriately diagnosed and received surgical intervention at Boston Children’s Hospital- one of the few locations in the United States (and world) that can offer intervention, and even then, the risks were incredibly high. For the first time since birth, Sutton finally began to eat and breathe in a way that contributed to his safety and well being. However, Sutton was recently diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, and while he has made tremendous progress with small cues, there are certain aspects of daily life that remain extremely difficult. Transitions from one activity to another can be overwhelming, and social settings often induce severe anxiety and stress.

A specially trained service therapy dog can provide the comfort and companionship Sutton needs to navigate these challenges. These amazing dogs are trained to recognize signs of distress, provide calming pressure, assist with transitions, and offer unconditional love and support. Sutton has fallen in love with our family dog, Bear. And there’s an undeniable bond to animals that we immediately recognized. Curiosity struck, so we began to research and we found that studies heavily support the use of therapy dogs for children with autism.

Why We Need Your Help

Training and obtaining a service therapy dog is a significant financial commitment, with costs averaging around $25,000. This includes the dog itself and the specialized and extensive training. Unfortunately, these costs are not covered by insurance, and we need to raise the funds to make this dream a reality for Sutton and his family. After all of the paid medical expenses so far, the continued costs of obtaining resources and out of town trips, and they’ve never once asked for assistance- I am incredibly hopeful that we can fundraise and provide a gift to my sisters family, and to my baby nephew Sutton.

How You Can Make a Difference

Your donation, no matter how small, will bring us one step closer to providing Sutton with the support he requires. Here’s how you can help:

1. Donate: Every dollar counts! Please consider making a donation to our GoFundMe campaign! Any amount helps.

2. Share: Spread the word by sharing our campaign with your friends, family, and social networks!!

3. Support: Offer words of encouragement and support to Sutton and his family. Any resources that you can recommend, or a community of individuals who are also navigating this challenge is very much appreciated… we have so much to learn.

I believe in the power of community. I have seen it first hand here in Yuma, and it’s what makes this community so incredibly special. With your help, we can give Sutton the gift of a service therapy dog, opening up a world of possibilities and comfort to help him navigate the normal transitions of daily life.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness and generosity.

With gratitude,

Cindi Moore “Aunt Cici”, along side Sutton and his family