Children with autism go through a sensory overload that can be painful– both physically and mentally. What feels like a light touch to us, or sound like a soft word spoken, is an entirely different experience– an experience that can be truly traumatic. Even making eye contact can be challenging.
Five-year-old Kai battles the challenges of autism day in and day out. His mom, Shanna Neihaus, wants nothing more than to help her son live a pain-free, happy life and will do anything and everything to get him there.
In the video below, Kai meets his service dog for the first time and his entire life is about to change…
Source: Inside Edition/YouTube
The Neihaus family is an American family that lives in Japan. They traveled all the way back to the U.S. to meet Tornado, Kai’s new service dog. The family has been waiting two long years to be united with Tornado.
Before this day, Kai would never willingly embrace anyone. Not even his mother.
When Kai first sees Tornado, he runs over to him like they had been long-lost friends for years! He just can’t wait to give his new best friend a hug. A child who never hug anyone!
Shanna wrote on Love What Matters on Facebook:
“See this moment? I’ve never experienced a moment like this. Yesterday was the first day my 5-year-old autistic son met his new autism service dog, Tornado. We are Americans that live overseas in Japan and have prepared for nearly two years to meet Tornado,” Neihaus said, according to Love What Matters.
Source: Love What Matters/Facebook
“This picture captures the face of a mother who saw her child, who she can’t hug, wash, dress, snuggle and touch freely, lay on his new service dog of his own free will, with a purposeful, unspoken attachment,” she said. “This is the face of a mom who has seen her son experience countless failed social interactions on the playground in an attempt to have a friend.”
Source: Inside Edition/YouTube
Finally seeing them together, Shanna says:
“It’s worth every fight for services for my son, every diagnosis, every new provider, every dollar spent, every paper filled out, every school meeting, every shed tear, every step forward, every step back, and every wonder of the unknown future.”
Watch Kai and Tornado meet in the heartwarming video below!
