Back to school may be an exciting time of year for most children, but it's not that easy for Chase Frayn.
The eight year old, who is starting second grade at Agassiz Christian School this week, was adopted by the Frayn family when he was almost three years old and has been diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), complex developmental behaviour disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Because of this, some things, like going to school, are a little harder for Chase, but the Frayn family is hoping that the company of a service dog will help him.
"The dog will go to school with him," Tammy Frayn, Chase's mother explained. "The dog is trained specifically for him and it would be attached to him by a belt, so if he for some reason tries to leave school, the dog will sit and he can't move."
The decision to try and get a service dog for Chase came as a result of his close connection with George, a rabbit in Chase's class last year.
"They have a classroom rabbit and when the rabbit would sit on his lap, he could work just fine, but the rabbit has been taken away, so they suggested going this route," Frayn said. "The pediatrician said that he has an attachment to animals and that it can help him calm him down enough to learn something."
But getting a service dog isn't that easy, especially for children with FASD, and the Frayn family has set up an online fundraiser through Assistance Service Dogs BC in hopes that enough money will be raised to get Chase his own dog.
"FASD is not seen as a disability in the school system and that's been our fight for the past few years," Frayn explained. "FASD mimics a lot of autism, as well as ADHD, and dogs are approved for autism so he is one of the first to be approved."
To donate or to learn more about Chase's story, visit asdbc.org/a-multi-purpose-dog-for-chase/.