Update: Family trying to raise money for special autism dog for son

Posted at: 09/25/2012 10:42 AM | Updated at: 09/28/2012 1:07 PM
By: Berkeley Brean | WHEC.com

 "He went through town several miles away. Untied a boat from a dock. Drifted into the middle of the lake and he was running up and down the boat, it was rocking."

That's how Deirdre Eaton describes one of the worst days her life. Her son Marius, an 11 year old boy with autism, escaped from a family vacation cabin early in the morning the Adirondacks. He was saved by a man who swam out to the boat and pulled it back in.

Find out how to help this young boy below

Marius' autism causes him to run away without warning and sometimes in the middle of the night, like that time in the Adirondacks.
 
His mom and dad think an autism service dog is the answer for their son's safety and their peace of mind.
It's a $15,000 dog. It's not a pet you're going to find in the classifieds.

So raising money is their top priority and their biggest fundraiser is coming up.

"When we go out into public he will often just rip our of our hands and run," Deirdre Eaton said. "He has absolutely no regard for safety. He does not understand that something is dangerous."

The Eatons have raised $6,000 so far. Deirdre says the dog will save their son's life.

"In Marius' case the dog will literally be trained to herd him, like a sheep dog. So he will come in between Marius and windows and push him away from windows or doors because you cannot watch him 24-7 and really if you want to keep him safe that is what you have to do," she said.

The Eatons are trying to buy the dog from Wildwood service dog in Tennessee. Deirdre Eaton hopes the dog will help Marius socialize with other people and keep him safe.

"There's something so special about these kids with autism. It's like what they lack in some things they make up in a way that they touch your life and your heart. It just makes you a better person and Marius is certainly that for us," Eaton said.

The major fundraiser is Sunday -- a golf tournament at Eagle Vale Golf Club in Fairport. It's followed by a reception at The Landing bar and grill.

The details

Eagle Vale Golf Club
1pm shot gun start
$75/golfer or $300/foursome

For more information, call Don Eaton at 734-2529.

Click here to be linked to Marius' fundraising website.

The goal is to have the $15,000 by the end of October. If they can do that, the Eatons can get a dog by March or April of next year.

 

 

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