Hand in Paw we are better together! 4 Paws Fundraiser
You can be an athlete, donate, support an athlete or show up for some fun events. We have so many ways for you to choose to help. Our athletes will be spending the month of June moving miles and pounds to raise money. For each mile or pound they move you can donate $1 or just support by donating any amount that you are able to give.
To be an athlete you DO NOT need to a member of the Fitness Center. Simply purchase a packet for $35 and get moving. Throughout the month ask friends and family to support your efforts and help you make a difference. Each athlete will receive a shirt and an envelope to collect your donations.
Donate by scanning the QR code below or bringing cash to The Fitness Center of HDG during staffed hours. Purchase a shirt or an iron on hand in paw.
Show up at some of our exciting events.
Meet Ada
Our 2024 recipient. Ada Kerr
Ada is currently 7 years old, she will be 8 in September. We first knew of Ada in May of 2019 when our Adoption Agency shared her file with us from the China Waiting Child list. Her file was not very robust, and all we really knew was that she had vision issues and possibly hearing issues and was absolutely adorable. We traveled with our two other children to China in August of 2019 to meet her in person and bring her home. Looking back now, it is amazing to realize that as we were in China just before COVID took over and all adoptions ended (for reference they are just now starting to allow families back to the country), so thankful we were able to go and get her! From the moment we met Ada, we knew that she was remarkable but also that she had a long road ahead of her. Her vision and hearing issues were fairly significant and for all practical purposes she spent the first three years of life not able to see or hear, and generally lacking the intense attention or medical support other children might get because of her living situation in a group home.
Ada has always been a kiddo full of joy, and she has the BEST smile! Through all the doctor appointments to first determine and get an actual diagnosis and then determine treatment Ada was remarkable in how she was willing to trust us (people she had just met and who had whisked her away to a totally different country). When Ada first arrived home, she was assessed by her neurologist at the developmental level of a 5 month old. Ada was able to walk, but was not verbal and did not play or engage with toys or other children. In February of 2020, we were finally able to get a reading on Ada's hearing and found her hearing to be in the moderate hearing loss category. In early March of 2020 Ada underwent surgery to remove a cataract in one eye. Shortly after these surgeries, Ada was diagnosed with Stickler Syndrome, which is a connective tissue disorder that impacts sight, hearing and can also impact stature, cause early onset arthritis and other general issues. Also shortly after this, COVID shut much of the world down and actively prevented us from accessing many of the typical therapies that we would have accessed to provide Ada with opportunities for growth.
We were fortunate to be able to start OT and Speech Therapy in November of 2020, and Ada has been working in those therapies since that time. We first noticed evidence of Ada's self-injurious behaviors in the form of her hitting her chin not long after she came home in November of 2019. Since then, Ada has had long periods of being free from those behaviors, though we have noticed that each summer she tends to regress, and the behaviors have become more complex and damaging. In spring of 2022, we welcomed our fourth child to the family, and shortly after Ada's self-injury devolved to a point that she has not fully returned from. Much of her behavior is focused on hitting points on her head, and generally the only way to stop the hitting is restraints or human connection. Ada loves to be closely connected with someone. She is particularly close with her older sister, and loves cuddling with me and my husband, and in those moments her self-injury becomes less or non-existent. 2022 and 2023 were remarkably challenging years for my husband and I. Nothing can prepare you for watching your child hurt themselves, or the overwhelming feeling of trying to juggle the complex needs of a whole family, while trying to protect your child from themselves. To be honest, it is scary for my husband and I to think about independence for Ada, and how she can be protected even when we aren't there (school has been a challenge!) In Spring of 2023, Ada was officially diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, and was also accepted to the Maryland School for the Deaf. We were thrilled at the opportunity and have been delighted with how much Sign Ada has picked up, since she is still non-verbal. However, it also meant a significant bus ride and huge amounts of trust being placed in many adults who do not know Ada's complex needs as well as we do. We decided to apply for a service dog in early 2023 after researching 4Paws extensively. We are hoping to find an animal that will increase Ada's opportunities for independence, will assist in behavioral disruption and honestly, be a source of protection in case she falls into a situation where a trusted adult isn't there to guide her.
We feel an incredible responsibility to help Ada be the amazing person we see in her, and made that specific promise when we finalized her adoption in China. She is the absolute core of our family unit, and we would love to work with someone else who might be able to help us sort through the best next steps to get access to a Service Dog as a resource for her!
Shelby and Hawks
Hello, my name is Shelby Heinold. I live in Townsend, DE with my family, and I am a junior at First State Military Academy in Clayton, DE. In June of 2019, I suffered a seizure at a sleepover with friends. They called 911. I recovered and received testing which confirmed my diagnosis of Juvenile Myclonic Epilepsy or Janz Syndrome. This diagnosis was particularly devastating for me. I have wanted to join the military ever since I can remember. My grandfather was Air Force, his father Navy. I was on my way! Then JME literally crushed thatdream. No enlistment, no military career, it was beyondbelief.
What? I had dodged all the childhood diseases, had all my vaccinations, played sports, I was a healthy 15 year old!
Facts about JME. JME is the most common generalized epilepsy syndrome, and it typically begins in adolescence. Teens with JME do not have other developmental problems. It's cause is genetic and autosomal dominant; meaning only one parent has to carry the gene for you to get the condition.
I was blessed to be put in touch with Kateri and Kim Peters and introduced to 4 PAWS 4 ABILITY. These ladies and the wonderful people of Crossfit Killshot Gym Smyrna, DE, The Fitness Center at Havre de Grace, MD, and their counterparts at Pop's Culture Rising Sun, MD, have decided to sponsor me in my fundraising efforts to secure a service dog. 4 PAWS 4 ABILITY in Xenia, Ohio, raises specialized service dogs from puppies over an approximate 2 year period, developing specialized skills to assist children and teens with a disability like mine, and others; to help with our safety and independence.
Shelby and Hawks graduated on March 1st 2024!