Some heroes never get the recognition they deserve, but that’s something that this school wanted to avoid at all costs.
Say hello to this girl named Hadley Jo and her best friend Ariel, who is also her service dog.
These two are absolutely inseparable, and although Hadley Jo needs to have her furry canine friend with her at all times, they also love each other very much and are a perfect match.
You’ll often see these two exchanging cuddles, and Ariel will give her and her friends a few affectionate licks on a very regular basis.
She’ll wag her tail constantly. That’s how happy and excited the pooch is to be around her favorite person.
Ariel is trained as a service dog for children with special needs and alerts others when Hadley Jo is having a seizure.
The dog has a sort of sixth sense and recognizes when the girl isn’t doing okay.
She is trained to immediately get help in case something happens.
All service dogs like Ariel are highly trained and usually stay near their handler 24/7. Of course, aside from her medical training, she’s an absolutely loveable and sweet-natured pup who also provides a ton of comfort and emotional support.
Heather DeVore Lange, the little girl’s mom, explained their relationship.
“Ariel is Hadley Jo’s seizure alert service dog,” Heather told The Dodo. “Ariel saves my daughter’s life by alerting us before a seizure happens, allowing us to administer rescue medication in less than two minutes. My goal is to provide my daughter an independent life as much as possible and Ariel helps to make that happen.”
Wherever Hadley Jo goes, Ariel will accompany her.
Of course, that also means that Ariel joins the classroom – she’s there just as much as everyone else, after all. While Hadley Jo studies or sits in class, Ariel will often rest up a bit and lays right beside her.
To the school and its staff, Ariel is just another member of the family, and that’s something they are very serious about.
Yearbooks are a beautiful tradition, and the school decided to include Ariel right alongside Hadley Jo.
It’s a small gesture and token of appreciation for the school, but it absolutely made a world of difference for mom and Hadley Jo. She even teared up when she heard the beautiful news.
“I have to admit I teared up,” she recalls. “The inclusiveness and acceptance of my daughter and her service dog means the world to me. It is beyond comforting to know that my daughter and her service dog have a home away from their home, at school, and that they are loved. They are accepted regardless of their differences.”
It just shows how much the service dog is appreciated, adored, and loved by everyone she encounters.
Ariel is an absolutely amazing pooch and the family wouldn’t know what to do without her. She truly makes Hadley Jo’s life amazing.
Heather feels beyond blessed to have such a trusty and loyal dog around who protects and guards her daughter’s life.
These two will spend all their time growing up together and they wouldn’t want it any other way.
“Hadley Jo likes to tell people, ‘Ariel keeps me safe,’” mom concluded. “Ariel goes everywhere Hadley Jo goes. We are so blessed as a family to have her.”
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