Today I listened to the 44th president of the United States say these words:

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."

I, like so many people hearing these words thought to myself, "What can I do? What can I give? What can I contribute in order to make this world a little better?"

And then I thought of Deen.

Deen is the son of one of Maria's co-workers, Margo Chadwick.

Deen suffers from autism, a bio-neurological disability that affects the areas of the brain related to social interaction and communication skills and can also expand into physical disorders such as epilepsy, digestive and/or feeding problems and persistent viral infections. Today, autism has no cure, but can be treated and can substantially improve through early intervention.

Little Deen has behavioral therapy every day, social skills class once a week, speech therapy, occupational therapy and special education -- but he still struggles to control his senses, his anxiety, and simple functions like sleeping and eating. His senses are so overwhelming for him that he will not even eat until he is starving, and his folks have to hold him every night and hold him tightly in their arms so he won't hurt himself (or them).

That's where 4 Paws For Ability comes in.

4 Paws for Ability is a non-profit agency committed to provide independent living to people with disabilities like Autism by training and placing service dogs that will significantly improve the quality of life for these individuals and their families. This agency is pioneer on the placement of skilled autism service dogs and it is the largest organization in the USA devoted to this cause.

A service dog will be extremely helpful to Deen in many ways and he will be specifically trained to cover Deen's greatest needs. Just to name a few, this dog will help take care of Deen by:

- nudging him when he gets stuck in the repetitive 'zone' of play and getting him involved in a new activity...

- preventing him wandering off, touching something he shouldn't, stepping off of the sidewalk...

- tracking him down if he escapes...

- helping him to sleep alone...

- decreasing his anxiety...

- and many other things that will make everyday life much happier and relaxed for the entire family.

In order for Deen to have a dog that can considerably boost his quality of life forever, the family needs to raise $13,000. To date, they have raised more than $5,000, so they are well on their way. But they need our help.

On March 8th, I will be competing in my very first Olympic-distance triathlon -- the Toyota Desert Triathlon in Palm Springs, CA. This event consists of a 3/4 mile swim, 25-mile bike ride, and 10k run. And I'm dedicating this race to Deen.

I'm asking that you join me in raising money for this important cause. We are certain that every donation, big or small (and tax deductible!), will have a huge impact on the Chadwick family, so we urge you to please rally with us to make it happen.

There are two ways to make a donation. To donate via PayPal or credit card, please visit the 4 Paws for Ability website, here. Please be sure to note Deen Chadwick's name in the Special Instructions link.

Or, if you prefer, you can make a payment by check directly to 4 Paws for Ability Inc., with Deen Chadwick in the memo section.

4 Paws for Ability, Inc.
253 Dayton Ave, Xenia, Ohio 45385
(937) 374-0385
www.4pawsforability.org

Thank you for joining me in this journey!