Chasing Hope - A local girl’s quest for a service dog 

PITSBURG, Ohio —  Hope Middlestetter’s life has been a challenge from before she was born.  Though her future was uncertain at times, her parents helped her fight to meet each challenge.  This determination led them to apply to Dayton non-profit, 4 Paws For Ability, where Hope was recently accepted to receive a multipurpose assistance dog; an addition they believe could be life changing for their fearless child. 

Hope was accurately diagnosed with Down Syndrome prior to birth, and was delivered early for failure to thrive.  She faced open heart surgery at just ten weeks old, had a feeding tube for 5 years, and faced multiple other surgeries with expected delays in development.  During her kindergarten year, Hope was also diagnosed as having ADHD.  It’s a commonplace association that people with Down Syndrome are also “slow”.  While that term may be true in terms of developmental milestones, the term “slow” could never be used to define Hope in general. 

Hope is now 8 years old, and a second grader at Arcanum Elementary school.  She is sweet and gentle, loves animals and babies, and is very busy. Hope is exuberant in even the smallest pleasures life has to offer. She is inquisitive, impulsive, and wants to be doing whatever the big kids are doing.  Hope is also an escape artist and likes to go on walks alone whenever the opportunity arises.  Her ability to slip away has created many instances of terror for family and staff in multiple situations.  She has slipped away at home, at church, at a waterpark (with her life jacket on), at school, and at a children’s museum.  One time her former school went on lock down until staff were able to locate her.  She has been discovered asleep in her locker, standing on the family’s roof, perched in the second story bathroom window she managed to open, in neighbor homes, and a multitude of alleys and sidewalks. 

Hope’s family recognized her fearlessness and impulsiveness early and took multiple steps to ensure her safety.  In spite of the fenced-in back yard and an assortment of latches, locators, and alarms, Hope continues to creatively find ways to have new adventures. She can be brilliant at figuring out latches and watching for doors that were not properly latched.  Though it was promising, the locator device stymied the family by taking too long to register Hope’s signal as her family’s fears escalated.  In each situation, the longer Hope remained missing, the more fearful her family became that she would end up in a dangerous situation.  

“It’s indescribably terrifying,” explains Hope’s mother Mary Middlestetter. “No matter how cautious we are and no matter how many safety tools we use, she can always seem to find a way to escape. We are constantly chasing Hope.” Mary and her family are long time residents of Darke County, Ohio. She is a nurse and has served several Dayton communities, to include Kettering and Beavercreek. When Hope turned one, Mary and her husband Ken joined the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association of Dayton, where they continue to receive educational and emotional support with other families whose experiences are similar. 

Following what felt like a prolonged search during one of Hope’s escapades (she was located in an empty neighborhood house), her family began searching for an organization with the ability to assist with a service dog trained specifically for Hope’s needs.  During an online search, her mother located 4 Paws for Ability in Xenia, Ohio and spoke tearfully with Founder Karen Shirk about the frightening episode.  Karen assured the family that a service dog would benefit their family greatly in several ways. 

The dog would be trained to track Hope so that when she escapes supervision she can be quickly and safely located.  The dog would also soothe and distract her in situations she finds upsetting, such as crowds of clapping people.  Even further, Hope would learn to fall asleep and stay in her own bed with the company of her dog, allowing her parents to finally sleep peacefully. The family could also feel safer in large crowds knowing Hope was tethered to a dog and could not slip away at any time. This would allow Hope and her family to participate in more activities that other families enjoy regularly. 

Hope is thrilled at the idea of having her own dog while the family is ecstatic and relieved at the thought of increasing Hope’s safety in a substantial way. 

It will cost 4 Paws $22,000 to place a dog with Hope. Her family is committed to raising $13,000 in support of the 4 Paws mission and can reach their goal with your help. If you can help them with a tax-deductible donation, please visit 4 Paws Donation Page (http://www. 4PawsForAbility.org/donate-now) or mail a check with her name on the memo line to: 4 Paws for Ability, In Honor of Hope Middlestetter, 253 Dayton Ave., Xenia, Ohio 45385.

For additional information or an interview with 4 Paws for Ability executive director or the family, contact Whitney Hitt at 937.768.9096 or email to Whitney@4PawsForAbility.org 

4 Paws for Ability is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to place quality service dogs with children with disabilities and veterans who have lost use of limbs or hearing; help with animal rescue, and educate the public regarding use of service dogs in public places. 4 Paws for Ability relies on the generosity of individuals, as well as corporations, and accepts donations for operating expenses, training, food, toys, training supplies, medication, and our building fund. 

4 Paws for Ability is located at 253 Dayton Ave., in Xenia, Ohio. Visit us at www.4PawsForAbility.org, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.