Special needs Bear for our Son with Special Needs!

This is Bear an 16  week old chocolate labrador and he belongs to Collin.  Collin is our 19 year old son that was born with Down Syndrome and has Chronic Kidney Disease which will require him to have a kidney transplant in the future .  Bear came to our family because we were looking for a companion and support dog for Collin but stole our hearts because like Collin he also has Special Needs.   We are trying to raise the money to have Bear permanently fixed so that he can live a long and fulfilling  life as our sons friend and support animal.  

Bear was born with a condition called Progressive Right Aortic Arch commonly known as vascular ring anomaly.  There is a vein from the heart that encircles the esophagus, constricting keeping solid food from passing the constriction. 

Bear is holding his own right now living on a liquid diet of softened dog food and water. But, as more time goes by the part of the esophagus above the restriction  will enlarge making it more and more difficult for him to swallow his food.  The other risk is that he chokes  when eating sometimes which increases his chance of aspirating his food and developing pneumonia, which is common in dogs with this condition.  

We as a family took Bear on because he had a very uncertain future and felt that we could find him the help he needs to live a healthy and fulfilling life as companion/support dog for Collin.  Collin has learned to managed his own complex medical needs and is now learning to care for Bear and prepare his feedings appropriately so Bear can eat.  

We have a special place in our hearts for those with special needs and we are reaching out to see if we can get help to pay for the expensive surgery which can cost between $4000 and $8000 dollars. 

You can follow our journey with Collin and Bear on Facebook at Collin and Bears medical adventures.  https://www.facebook.com/CollinandBear/?modal=admin_todo_tour

We would be very appreciative of any help we could get to save this little guy as we are trying to schedule his surgery in the next 2-3 weeks. All money earned with go towards the cost of getting Bear fixed and his care!!