Meta and Charlotte Leonard have spent most of the last 15 years effectively trapped in their home in Belfast. Charlotte, 29, lives with autism, bipolar disorder, learning disabilities, schizoaffective disorder, clinical depression, separation anxiety, and general anxiety, and before getting an assistance dog went two years without even going into the yard.
From the age of ten to 15, Charlotte was hospitalized for psychiatric assessment. When officially diagnosed with what professionals term Four In One, she was believed to be the only child in the United Kingdom with the diagnosis.
Home Was a “Prison”
“We were sent home with the hope that we’d cope but Charlotte couldn’t really cope with anything and as the years went on, things only got worse,” said Meta to BelfastLive. “Our home quickly changed from being our sanctuary, safe place, our haven to our prison. I would try every day to get Charlotte to step outside, but every day we just couldn’t do it.
“So for the last 15 years we have survived in these four walls, Charlotte sleeping in her room downstairs and me on the settee in the sitting room next door so I could help her in the night if she fell or needed me. In the two years before meeting Assistance Dogs NI, Charlotte had not left our home once.”
Meta explained that she had “begged” for help over the last 15 years, exploring every avenue possible. However, staying at home, “trapped”, became their only way to cope.
“But as with many mothers, I had a fire inside me that somehow kept me going and I just kept hoping and praying for a miracle,” she said. “Now we have found our miracle and Charlotte’s world has expanded beyond all recognition.”
A Miracle in Canine Form
That miracle is Lexi, a Labrador trained by Assistance Dogs NI. According to Meta, the pooch has given the pair a “sense of freedom”. He’s helped Charlotte to “let go of her anxieties”.
“When Lexi started visiting Charlotte at our home last April, we discovered that Charlotte was able to cope better with all sorts of situations while Lexi was by her side. The change was almost immediate,” she explained.
“Assistance dog trainer and handler Gary Jordan brought Lexi to our home and I prayed it would make a difference. But I could never have imagined just what sort of help we would witness.
“Charlotte can go inside the bakery with Lexi and order a bun. She can pay the staff and she can turn and come back home with Lexi. If anyone thinks that’s hardly something worth celebrating, I’d ask them to think about all the years Charlotte spent prior to this in our sitting room and her bedroom without being able to leave the house.”
Lexi sees Charlotte and Meta each week, and they no longer trapped. However, over the last two years, he’s helped thousands of children and adults through his work.
Assistance Dogs NI receive no government funding, but if you’d like to help them you can donate here.
