Plea to help buy assistance dog for "caring" boy with Tourettes

Wednesday 18 August 2021

A local mum has started a £7,000 fundraiser to get a potentially “life-changing” assistance dog to help her 14-year-old son, who has Tourettes, as well as autism and ADHD.

Mandy Mansell is mother to Odin, a “kind” and “sweet” boy who has several conditions which have a profound effect his on his day-to-day life.

Though Odin has had a number of medications through the years to help with his conditions, over the past year it has been getting harder to control the symptoms, which range from vocal and motor tics to full body tremors, loss of limb control and states of full body catatonia.

"Because he has complex needs and it's not just one condition, we've been trying to find out what's making what happen," Mandy explained.

She believes it's often Odin's anxiety that triggers a chain reaction, leading to several symptoms appearing all at once, which can leave him "physically exhausted."

Pictured: Odin with his mum, who currently stays at home to look after him and his two siblings, one of whom also has autism.

Given the severity of his conditions, he is now being referred to famed children's hospital, Great Ormond Street in London.

But Mandy believes help doesn't just lie in medical solutions - she has been researching alternative ways of helping Odin, including through music therapy. Odin is already a "talented" guitarist, pianist and drummer, playing with Youth Arts Jersey.

His involvement in music has helped establish that there are triggers for Odin's condition, as, when he is engrossed in music, he is usually well.

It was in researching other therapeutic measures that Mandy came across pet therapy, and learned of the benefits of assistance dogs.

She thinks that Odin having one may help to calm him and mitigate his symptoms.

Pictured: Music therapy has already helped Odin, with his mum noting he's a "talented" keyboardist, guitarist and drummer.

"Just before the attack happens and before humans can sense it, the dog senses it," Mandy explained.

"The dog's trained to warn them - so it works similar to a guide dog. The dog can sense that there's a danger, and will stand in front of him to warn him he needs to do something or lick his hand to tell him to go and sit down."

She went on to explain that an assistance dog may be able to help Odin in many areas of life therapeutically - from providing comfort while he is studying, to warning him of any dangers to his safety, and helping him find a place to sit and calm himself when he needs one.

It would also help to prevent escalation of his autism sensory attacks through petting, hugging and deep pressure when the dog senses one.

But such dogs come at a cost, and Mandy is now appealing to the public to help her reach a target of £7,000: £3,000 to pay for the ensured "calming" and "gentle" cockapoo breed, as well as the £2,000 to £4,000 needed in training costs.

So far, she has raised £400.

Pictured: The breed the family is looking at getting is a cockapoo, due to the "gentle" nature needed to support Odin's conditions.

For Mandy, the key motivator in this decision has been wanting to give a boy who is so kind and empathetic to others a break.

"Odin's such a kind guy. Everybody that meets Odin absolutely loves him - he's so intelligent, he's so good with adults, he's so polite, he's really caring," she said.

She said that being on the high functioning end of the autistic spectrum, he has learnt to be very empathetic and "he's always been really switched on to other people's needs...

"So he's just a lovely bloke, and he just deserves something that will soothe him and help him."

She added that Odin doesn't wish to get rid of his Tourette's altogether, but has said "it would just be nice to take the edge off it."

"I think this pet would really help him - it will give him a purpose to get out of bed every day if he's got to walk, some responsibility, socially - so many reasons," she concluded.

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