Sheboygan girl, 9, is paying it forward after an autism assistance service dog changed her life. Here’s how.
SHEBOYGAN - In December, Lilyana Gischia asked Santa for an 18-month-old Bernedoodle named Bosley to become her forever service dog.
Just before Christmas, her wish came true.
Nine-year-old Lilyana has disorders including autism and epilepsy, and Bosley has already changed her life, said her mom and dad, Jamee and Jon Gischia.
Bosley is “her happiness,” says Lilyana, who goes by Buggy (“When I was little, I was cute as a bug,” she said.).
Now, the family is raising $6,000 for Pawsitism Inc., the Sheboygan nonprofit that trained and paired Buggy with her service dog, to help another child with autism.
Bosley gives Buggy calm and confidence in a world that can be overwhelming
Things that come easy for some other kids can be hard for Buggy.
Before having Bosley, tasks such as grocery shopping would be so overwhelming that Buggy would spend the trip sitting in a shopping cart with a blanket over her head — and then bolt for the car through the parking lot.
“The things that we really needed help with, we didn’t even realize a service dog could help with,” Jamee Gischia, said.
Now, Buggy walks next to Bosley holding the handle on his service vest. When she gets overwhelmed, she can bend over and hug him. Bosley also anchors Buggy — meaning that if Buggy tries to run, he shifts his weight to keep still as she pulls on the handle, and Buggy’s parents have time to correct her.
“They have such a close bond that he picks up on her anxiety when she’s starting to get overstimulated before we even pick it up. He goes over and he will put his head on her,” Jamee Gischia said.
“It’s amazing what all he’s done for her. Because as she grows, she’s going to need to learn how to do things like shop so she can function in the world as an adult," she said.
When Buggy needs more help, she asks Bosley for deep pressure therapy, where he lies across her lap or her whole body.
“That’s all she needs. She’ll rub her fingers through his fur, and soon she’s smiling. So it doesn’t take much — it’s just that she always knows that she has him,” Jamee said.
Bosley helps Buggy keep from getting overwhelmed during virtual school; she’s improved almost two reading levels with his help. At night, Bosley sleeps with her; she now sleeps through the night for the first time in her life, Jamee said.
She’s also a competitive dancer and hugs Bosley to come down from the adrenaline high of being on stage instead of having a meltdown.
“When I see him, I run and jump on him and give him a hug,” she said, looping her arms around Bosley as she talked to a reporter.
Service dogs must be a perfect match. Here’s why.
When Buggy first saw Bosley, she quickly felt a connection with him, she said. She thought, “That’s my dog.”
She matched with him about a year after applying and being accepted into the program by Pawsitism’s board, Jon said.
Sometimes, the matching process can take longer — years. But now the family understands why, they said.
“When we saw the bond they formed, and what Bosley does for her because of that bond, then we totally understood,” Jamee said.
For instance, Bosley learned on his own to alert Buggy’s parents when she has seizures at night — something he wasn’t trained to do.
Once, when Buggy’s team was practicing on stage at a dance competition, Bosley started signaling to her parents, who were in the audience with him. He could see that she was anxious, even though they couldn’t. They flagged Buggy over and Bosley calmed her, Jamee said.
“Everybody around us noticed, too, and were like, ‘That was so amazing,’” she said.
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Buggy is raising money for Pawsitism to help another child in need. Here’s how to donate.
Pawsitism, a Sheboygan nonprofit founded in 2018, trains autism assistance service dogs and works with families to pair dogs with a child in need.
Rebekah Hintzman, president of Pawsitism, donates the time she works with the dogs, but the expenses for 18 months of training as well as food and vet bills average out to about $75,000 from when each dog enters the program to when they graduate, Jon said.
Families are paired with dogs at no cost but are asked to raise at least $5,000 to go toward the next family in the Pawsitism's program, said Jon, who has since gotten involved as a trainer for the organization to pay it forward.
The Gischia family also hopes to raise at least $6,000 for Pawsitism through their GoFundMe, “Please help change a child with autism’s life.”
“The more we can do the better, because again, that’s only improving the lives of other children in the community,” Jon said.
People can learn more about Pawsitism or donate directly at pawsitism.org. The organization so far has had a 100% success rate finding a match for dogs in the program.
Asked what a service dog could do for another kid with autism, Buggy said: “Help their life, change their world.”
See more of Buggy and Bosley on their Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram pages titled Bosley and Buggy's Adventures.
Reach Maya Hilty at 920-400-7485 or MHilty@sheboygan.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Service dog from Sheboygan nonprofit changes autistic girl’s life
