Tessa From Kingston
Tessa is a happy, bubbly and playful girl who enjoys swimming,
drawing, jui jitsu and being active. There are times she has
significant anxiety when entering situations she’s unfamiliar with or
attending noisy places and big events. When things are unknown or out
of routine her mood can become scared, anxious or angry due to the
overstimulation and lack of ability to ground herself. When she has
her service dog, she can rely on him for comfort and consistency.
When Tessa’s just relaxing, she’s often found using her dog as a
living fidget as she loves running her fingers through his fur. She
enjoys running around and playing outside in the summer and is often
found catching frogs, riding her bike or building sandcastles at the
beach. She enjoys hiking and fishing too.
She has participated in many things at school such as track and
field, volleyball or a school musical, however, there have been times
that her anxiety can become too intense, and she will drop out or
choose not to participate due to her overwhelming feelings. At times,
if a situation is too loud and/or has too many people she will be
reluctant to participate in the life happening around her.
Tessa was diagnosed with ADHD, high functioning autism and severe
anxiety with bouts of OCD when she was 7. Tessa is easily distracted
and has difficulty sitting without having access to something to do or
fidget with.
Tessa feels lonely when she is not included in playing with other
kids. Her service dog will be a constant companion to help her with
the insecurities she might feel in social settings. We are thrilled
that Tessa has been matched with her service dog and her face lights
up with one of the biggest and brightest smiles her family has seen
her have. We are so grateful to Kingston 4 Paws for providing us with
this amazing gift of a lifetime to help Tessa navigate her life with
more ease every day. To show our gratitude we would ask you to please
consider supporting our family’s fundraising campaign so that K4Paws
can continue to assist other individuals in need. Every donation helps
them achieve that goal!
