New Brunswick mother looks to bring service dog home for son

Ahead of her son’s seventh birthday Thursday, Priscella LeBlanc is asking for help with a significant present: a service dog trained specifically to help Jake with his everyday life.

“With the dog, it’s going to help us figure out when the seizures are occurring because some of the seizures can be very dormant so he could be looking out in space and having a seizure and we don’t know,” she said.

Jake was born at 34 weeks after LeBlanc’s water broke in a car accident and he has faced health obstacles ever since.

“He has autism. He also (has) two genetic mutations, one on chromosome 19 and gene 16,” said LeBlanc.

His conditions cause balance issues, speech delays, and seizures. He is also deaf in his left ear.

“We don’t know when or how or to what effect it’s going to degenerate to,” she said. “For now, it’s basically just take one day at time, keep watching for his episodes and keep track of everything because he could potentially have a migraine severe enough that it could actually paralyze him.”

LeBlanc says Jake’s neurologist and genetic specialist suggested a therapy dog trained for his autism and to detect his seizures.

His mom is also hoping a dog will help Jake navigate life with a little more freedom and confidence.

Jake has spent time with a therapy dog in the past, and he knows when it’s his turn, his dog will help and protect him.

LeBlanc says a fully-trained service dog can cost thousands of dollars and comes with a five-year wait.

“I don’t have five years to wait. He’s been waiting for too long and it’s been a hard long road since he was born,” she said.

The pair have been working with Maritime Assistance Canines (MAC), which trains service dogs in New Brunswick.

LeBlanc says she is required to go through six months of training before being eligible to get a dog from them and is currently about three months into that training.

However, there’s still a high cost, which is why Jeff Cormier, an old friend, started a GoFundMe to help make a service dog more obtainable.

“As a single parent, way back when, my son had to go to the IWK and by no means am I a wealthy person, but I’m rich with my family and friends and community, so I just wanted to pay it forward,” said Cormier. “It’s huge, right, because being a single parent, you’re limited to time and funds, and doing things by yourself is not always easy, especially asking for help. I just kind of reached out and said, ‘Hey, would this be okay?’ and she was hesitant at first, but so far it’s been great. I think to date we’re over the $3,200 mark.”

LeBlanc says she has “moved mountains” to get her son the care and services he needs and deserves, and is completely overwhelmed by the community response to the fundraiser.

“I’m not one to ask for help ever and he needs this so I’m just grateful for anybody, if they can share it, if they can donate, if they can’t that’s totally understandable. My son has struggled so much in his life so far and I know we’ve got challenges coming up and just for him to be able to get that peace of mind and for myself to get a peace of mind,” she said. “I just want to put awareness out there that families like mine are struggling and it’s not right for children, especially with disabilities, that are pushed aside. We need the help, we need the therapy, we need the services in place for them. These are human beings and they have rights, too.”

While Jake waits for his fully-trained service dog to join his family, he already has the name picked out: Phoenix.

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