Red Fern Mission: Eli & Griffin a Sheepadoodle for a boy with Lissencephaly

“Everyone suffers, even the good Lord suffered when he was on earth.”

— WILSON RAWLS, WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS

My name is Griffin. I am thirteen years old and from central Wisconsin. My whole family will undoubtedly benefit from having a furry friend in so many ways. However, I am specifically writing this (with some help from mom and dad) on behalf of my brother, Eli. 

My name is Eli. I'm 10 years old and have Lissencephaly (a brain malformation formed in utero that causes delays globally and seizures for most of us). I have a lot of delays in addition to having multiple seizures every day.

My four favorite things are my family, animals, music, and water play. I use a few signs and can say about three words, one of which is “dog.”

I enjoy it when friends and family bring their dogs over so I can pet and hug them.

I used to have two dogs (Dixie and Peyton) who unfortunately got old and died (14 and 15). When my dogs were younger I had a lot of fun watching them play. When they chased each other I would giggle and laugh. My dogs motivated me to scoot around the house on my bottom to get closer to them so I could pat them.

Over the years I have developed asthma (age 5). Because of this, I end up in the hospital frequently with respiratory illnesses including the common cold. My parents have kept me home along with my brother and sister for schooling to limit my exposure to COVID and other illnesses, so I don’t get to see my friends as much.

A hypoallergenic and non-shedding dog would be perfect for me.

My parents have done research and think that a Sheepadoodle would be a great pup for me! When I had my dogs I was a lot more vocal and was more motivated to scoot and walk (with assistance). Now that I’m getting bigger, I’m in my wheelchair more and it would be nice to be able to reach my pup from my chair.

My little sister is going to school next year so a dog would help keep me company when she’s not here. I’m really going to miss her but I'm happy she gets to go to school. Because of my condition I don’t really have any friends outside of family (siblings, cousins, caregivers, etc) so a dog would be a great friend that I could see everyday.

I love animals and my most favorite things include going to zoos, petting zoos, and farms.

One of my favorite toys is a talking dog named “Dug” from the movie “Up.” I request Dug every morning and mom or dad get him for me to play with. Overall this pup would help me improve myself by helping my strength and motivation to get places.

I love it when we go on family walks and miss seeing Dixie and Peyton and watching them on our walks. I would enjoy playing with my dog, petting it, talking it on family walks, and watching it play in the backyard from my swing (we play out there every day).

This pup will instill the values of love and companionship. I will be changed for the better emotionally and physically. Emotionally because of having companionship and physically because I will be motivated to move myself to be closer to my furry friend.

Right now with my health and our loving caregivers starting their careers soon (they will be finishing their vocational programs soon) my mom is contemplating if it would be better for me if she were a stay-at-home mom caring for me full time (she currently works part-time).

In addition, we had to have a major unplanned basement renovation because of a leaky wall so finances are tight.

My brother Griffin has loved the book, “Where the Redfern Grows” since he first read it when he was 10 years old. It was a gift from his fourth-grade teacher at St. Mary’s.

He reminds me that one of his favorite quotes from the book is, “ Everyone suffers, even the good Lord suffered when he was on earth.” This quote reminds us all that life isn't perfect and it will be hard with many challenges.

Although I am a happy boy, my life isn’t easy as I experience a lot of hardships and suffering because of my daily seizures, limited communication, mobility challenges, and fragile health. Although I can’t express it, I try to teach everyone around me that even with suffering, there is still much joy to be had in this world.

I might never be able to run through the woods, hunt, or fish like Billy but I look forward to having my own adventures with my own dog. I would love to take it on walks and sit on the grass and pet it. I would enjoy watching it play with other dogs and jump around. I would even like my family to teach it some tricks like rolling over or shaking.

As a family, we would all really enjoy adding another family member to our home. My brother, Griffin, would enjoy taking it shed hunting (looking for deer horns that had fallen off). I think he would also enjoy taking it fishing or swimming at the lake. I’m sure he wouldn’t like picking up dog poop but he would do it for me :). My little sister, Evie, would probably like to put bows on the dog and dress it up. She would also enjoy running around outside with it. My dad would enjoy having it come on the boat and ride around on the water with us. My mom would like to walk the dog and have the dog play with all of us kids and know that with each bark and playful moment we are making lasting memories.

Thank you for the scholarship program and for reading my application essay. Even if we don’t receive a dog through the program, it is so cool that you offer it and families can benefit from it!

Sincerely,- Elias with Griffin