Service dog helps to heal

(Editor’s note: Animal names in this story are full capitalized, as specified by the paws4people group.)

After a month of waiting, Nicholas Cain has a new service dog to call his own.

In April, Nicholas’ guide dog, SHAW, passed away.The Cain family did not have the necessary amount of money to get Nicholas a new dog, but when their friends and people in the community found out, they stepped up to organize a benefit to meet the family’s need.

In July, a Boston Butts sale was set up by Leisa Henderson and Brenda McLamb. Anyone in the community could get a Boston Butt for $50 and pick it up at Piney Green Missionary Baptist Church on Aug. 17. All the meat was donated and cooked by the Grateful Shed.

“We knew on the date of the fundraiser that we were very close (to raising enough money),” Myra Cain, Nicholas’ mother, said during a phone interview last week. “I think it was Sunday afternoon, which was the very next day, they all got together and counted the money and paid the expense and we knew that we had enough.”

Once they knew the funds were in place, the Cain family was able to start the process of training a new service dog for Nicholas.

DONNA, a golden retriever trained by paws4people out of Wilmington, was officially signed over to the Cain family Thursday afternoon.

“The trainer with paws4people brought her to our house, and she came three separate times. We trained with her, and she stayed about three hours each time. And then she would take (DONNA) back home with her and work on tasks that were specific to Nicholas’ needs. And then they would come back again, same thing, and then we got to keep her (Thursday),” Myra explained.

Myra said that DONNA did spend a few nights with the family to see if there were any problems, but, thankfully, she said, there were’t any.

“Nicholas is already in love with her, and she is such a comfort to him and so healing after the loss of SHAW,” Myra asserted.

Myra herself was mostly just grateful for the support of the community which came together to help the family.

“It was so humbling, the outpouring of love and work and support that went into this fundraiser for Nicholas,” Myra gushed. “We were just amazed, and we would like to thank everybody who had any part in any way in making this possible. I can’t even name names because there were so many people.”

She did mention her church family, Piney Green Baptist Church, saying, “we would like to thank them, Piney Green Baptist Church, for hosting it and volunteering and all that they did.”

Henderson also shared gratitude to a community, she said, that eagerly went right to work to help the Cain family.

“I can’t even describe how amazing it was to see the community come together, and area churches to come together as well,” Henderson said.

She talked about how the radio stations were willing to talk to her about the benefit and promote it.

“They were so willing for us to come on and talk and share and get the word out in the community,” Henderson stressed.

People even spoke to Henderson about donating without buying a Boston Butt, saying “they wanted to send a donation because of the heart of the story.”

“And the Grateful Shed… I can’t say enough about the Grateful Shed and their endeavor,” Henderson said. “The Grateful Shed are a group of Godly men, and they really work hard and put forth a great effort to make or to help things be successful.”

According to Henderson, the Friday before the event there was a group of people who came out to the church to season the Boston Butts before they went on the grill the following morning. And then a small group went to the church at 4 a.m. that Saturday to put them on the grill.

Henderson also believed that prayer was another factor in the success of the benefit.

“We also said when we went on (a radio show) if you can’t give, pray. If you’re not in a position to give, to buy a ticket or to buy a Boston Butt, please pray. And so, I just think it was saturated with prayer.”

After being able to buy DONNA and seeing the success of the benefit for her family, Myra said she believed this benefit simply mirrored the little acts of kindness of a community always willing to help those in need.

“I would like people to know that every little act of kindness that they do does make a difference,” Myra shared. “We had people donate that I know could not afford it, and they needed that $10 or $20 yet they donated it to our benefit, and it’s just so humbling. But I’d like people to know that the things that they do, and kindness towards other people, it does make a difference in other people’s lives. When the community comes together, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”