Rik’s Story - ‘OAKY’

Oaks Hospital is supporting one of our staff members with a target of raising £10,000 in 2025 towards an Autism Assistance Dog for their daughter.

Rik’s 11 year old daughter, Mimi, has been diagnosed with both ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) along with other neurological conditions and is currently in her final year of Primary School. Presently life is very challenging for her and even seemingly simple tasks, such as showering, getting dressed or eating a meal together can lead to a meltdown because she feels overwhelmed. She is currently unable to attend school in person due to ‘autistic burnout’, so is completing all of her learning online from home.

An Autism Assistance Dog (from Autism Dogs Charity - https://www.autismdogs.co.uk) can transform the lives of autistic people and their families by giving emotional and practical support to an autistic child or adult, and help to mitigate the challenges that they face. Each dog is trained to perform a number of specialised tasks, all of which are tailored to the handler’s individual disability and needs. Every dog trained is not just a pet, but a lifeline to someone. Having Oaky as her Autism Dog will help Mimi to regulate her emotions and feelings of overwhelm and make everyday tasks more manageable.

Every pound that you donate will go straight towards our £10,000 fund, but in addition, if you are a UK taxpayer, Autism Dogs Charity can reclaim an extra 25% Gift Aid tax relief to go towards their costs.

Thank you so much for supporting us!

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