Every morning for 27 years, Kimberly got ready for her work as an educator: showering, dressing and cooking her breakfast. Then, she didn’t. Kimberly awakened in the hospital to learn she had been in a coma. She was in septic shock despite having had no symptoms of illness before going unconscious. Kimberly would lose her hands and her legs.
As she started looking for support from other survivors, she came upon Canine Companions.
“I knew there was a wait to get a service dog,” Kimberly says. “I was just starting to second-guess whether I should accept a service dog since so many others were waiting. Two weeks later, I was invited to Team Training, and it was like a divine intervention.”
Kimberly was partnered with Service Dog Noodle, a mellow, calming dog that would enhance her independence far beyond Kimberly’s expectations. Noodle takes the place of Kimberly’s hands; opening the pantry door, retrieving cans from the shelf and ensuring a dropped spatula doesn’t ruin dinner.
“I worked hard to regain independence before Noodle and refused to ask for assistance,” Kimberly remarks. “But he’s given me the confidence to ask for help and not be shy about my disability. Together, we meet up with friends and go grocery shopping. Without him, I would be homebound. He helps me carry the load of living as a quadruple amputee.”