This Mom Got Everything She'd Dreamed of When Her Boy With Autism Met His New Dog
For nearly two years, Shanna Niehaus has waited for the day that her little boy with autism could meet his new service dog, Tornado. Although her 5-year-old son struggles with social interactions and making friends, he and Tornado instantly connected the moment they were finally together for the first time.
Shanna shared a photo of the incredible moment on the Love What Matters Facebook page with an explanation for why she is seen crying on the floor watching her boy and his dog together.
This picture captures the face of a mother who saw her child, who she can't hug, wash, dress, snuggle and touch freely lay on his new service dog of his own free will, with a purposeful, unspoken attachment. This is the face of a mom who has seen her son experience countless failed social interactions on the playground in an attempt to have a friend. Any friend. Any kind of connection. She has sat with her son while he has cried at night for months because he has no consistent connections outside of the family no matter how hard he tries and no matter what he works hard on in his Autism therapies. It doesn't transfer to the natural occurring world for him. And now she is sitting behind her son silently watching this moment, with the air sucked from her lungs, and no words to say.
It's worth every fight for services for my son, every diagnosis, every new provider, every dollar spent, every paper filled out, every school meeting, every shed tear, every step forward, every step back, and every wonder of the unknown future. Somehow because of this — because of Tornado — I know everything will be okay. As a mother, I have seen countless challenging and painful moments my son has encountered and cried countless more. Yesterday however, I cried for a different reason. It is a feeling that is indescribable.