This week we are thrilled to bring you the amazing story of Trevor and his service dog, Gamma. Keep reading to hear one of the most touching stories you will ever read!
"My name is Trevor Wachsman, I am fourty-one years old. I am a childhood cancer survivor and adult brain cancer survivor. As well as facing a current brain tumor & approximately three dozen major medical problems as a result of the long term late effects of my childhood cancer, primarily the radiation protocol."
"My dog is a 16 month old Dutch Shepherd named GAMMA. He is my Guardian Angel and he is a special new breed of trained dogs. He is what's called a Foundation Dog, which is a dog that has been trained as a service dog specific to me, but also fully trained as a protection dog.
Jeff Minder, the CEO of Top Tier K9 has been a beacon of light in my life after he donated my service dog to me, allowing me to gain a new perspective on life."
"My life has been heavily affected and molded by radiation, the thoughts and memories in regards to it aren't good... obviously. But because it defines me, I decided to name him GAMMA because he is vital to my life. He has saved my life as well as forever altered me mentally, physically, and emotionally so now I face the positive effects of daily radiation, GAMMA, aka, Gamma Radiation.
His favorite thing is what I would call his version of juggling. What I mean by that is that he has, at any given time, around three different kind of rubber balls. He actively tries to get all three at the same time, which as you can imagine isn't possible. Despite this, he will pounce and toss them in every direction in an attempt to get them all."
"When I think back on my time with Gamma, I am reminded of the first night he slept with me. I have severe sleep apnea and other sleep issues that have made it nearly impossible to sleep through the night for the last decade. The first night Gamma and I went to sleep, I woke up the next morning to him half way on my chest with his legs wrapped around one of my arms like he was doing an MMA arm bar on me.
When I saw the time, it was almost nine hours we had slept without waking and since that first night, I have been able to sleep through every night with him. He is never more than arm lengths away from me, no matter day nor night with the one exception of during my showers."
When asked to describe his dog in three words, Trevor simply said:
"My. Guardian. Angel."
Recently, Gamma received his very own Big Barker Bed to ensure he gets the best night's rest possible. Here's what he had to say about it:
"The size is amazing! I literally can lay on his bed with him! The couch style design is really wonderful and he loves propping his head up on the edges. The comfort is unmatched because it's made of the same great orthopedic foam as the leading mattresses we sleep on."
"It's truly equally as comfortable as our “human” beds. I love that it has his name custom embroidered on it. And last but far from least, the cover is easy to wipe off and or vacuum for normal cleaning and when it comes time to deep clean, it's so easy to unzip the cover and toss it into the washing machine."
When asked about what he thinks every dog owner should know, Trevor had tremendous insight. "The saying “The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall” in many ways is true. I've owned large breeds all of my life and I would never have it any other way. The simple fact that we can not communicate formally means that they have to rely on us for their health. They often can't let us know something is wrong and or they don't even understand what's going on."
"So be proactive, understand what you choose to feed them and help them stay active. Regardless of just assuming they are always healthy because of what you simply see or hear, take the time and the money and get them routine health screenings because what they bring to our lives is unmatched and it's the least we can do for them."
Thank you to Trevor & Gamma for sharing their story with us. You can keep up with their life by following them on Instagram and Facebook!
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