Success Stories
Lewis and Cinder

My name is Brenda Foster. My father, Lewis Yoder, is the proud recipient of a wonderful service dog named Cinder. Service dog is such a simple term for such a miracle! New Life Mobility Assistance Dogs, Karen Brown, and Cinder have had a profound effect on my father's life and mine, too.

At fifty-seven, a stroke took my father's sight and left him in a wheelchair. After three years of struggling and a lot of therapy, he began to realize he was as good as he was going to get.

People who lose something as precious as sight and/or mobility go through a grieving process. That is very traumatic to watch. Finally, a very deep depression set in for my father. Absolutely nothing helped! At sixty, he wanted to be dead and cursed the three years of hard work he had done.

Then came NLMAD. Daddy was eligible but wondered where he could get the money to pay for Cinder. Fund raising was started! With a lot of help from Miss Brown, the money was raised!! Daddy had a blast; his life had purpose and meaning!!

When the training started, we had hope again. Dad worked so very hard. Karen was wonderful with him. I must admit I had some concerns with thirty commands to learn and all the physical stuff; but with Daddy's hard work and Karen's understanding way, it all went very smoothly.

In May, my Dad will be sixty-one years old. With Cinder's help, he is now very active. They live alone and together they can conquer anything. They go shopping, to the park and they talk. I think they talk about me sometimes.

The companionship alone is enough, but the other things that Cinder can do is just amazing. She can open and close the icebox, pick up anything--even a dime; she even picks her toys up.

There is a lot of care in having a dog, but Dad relishes every second. He brushes her every day and takes her for long walks. Cinder knows well over thirty commands but most importantly, she knows how to make Dad smile.

Thank you, New Life Mobility, Karen Brown, and Cinder for giving my Daddy back.

[ for an update see Lewis and Lizzie ]