MANDEVILLE, La. — UPDATE: The parents of Colin Johns say they have reached their goal of $15,000 for a service dog for their son so quickly that they are speechless.
"I'm in COMPLETE SHOCK," texted Jennifer Johns.
She said the family is now trying to create a foundation to assist other children with autism in getting a service animal.
Every kid wants a dog, but one child on the Northshore needs one to help him.
Colin Johns is like many 4-year-old boys. He love swinging on his swing set, playing with his toy trucks, and running around outside his Mandeville home.
Johns has had to face more challenges, though, than most boys his age. Johns has autism and his family believes a service dog will help him develop, thrive, and keep him safe.
Challenges started early. Johns was born nearly three months premature. As he grew, he wasn't reaching developmental milestones.
"Being a teacher, I kind of know the signs of autism," said his mom, Jennifer Johns.
Colin is non-verbal so he doesn't talk, he has recurrent seizures, he was diagnosed with severe autism, and he has an extremely rare genetic disorder.
"He was the 41st person in the world diagnosed with this genetic disorder, there is no name because it is so rare," Johns said.
His autism is severe and can affect his safety.
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"He will bolt, he will run away, he is completely unaware of any dangers around him," Johns said.
As parents, that's one of their biggest fears.
"That right there was our biggest prompt to explore this avenue because the safety concern," Johns said.
That avenue is a dog, but not just any dog, a service dog that will keep Colin safe and hopefully help him flourish.
"The dog will also be trained to track his scent in the event that he should run away," Johns said.
Because of Colin's diagnoses, he often has aggressive behavior and experiences severe emotional meltdowns.
"Those dogs are trained to apply pressure and help alleviate those melt downs," Johns said.
That's why they're hoping to add a large golden doodle to their family. The only hold back is the $15,000 for the dog and training.
"We had to seek help. I don't like to ask for help, but as a mother I will do anything for my child," Johns said.
The family has a Go Fund Me account to help. They've already raised about $5,000 on and off the account. To help, click HERE.