A furry four-legged therapist could be the answer for a Shreveport family who's daughter is severely disabled.
For Briana Nakaya of Shreveport, even getting dressed in the morning is a challenge.
"Briana had a stroke inutero before she was born. She has a lot of balance problems. She is legally blind. Her left hand, she won't use it, it's paralyzed. Just getting up the stairs is a lot of work," said Briana's mother Jeanny
"There is merriad of things she deals with everyday that we don't think about because they are second nature," said father Noah.
For months now the family has been looking into getting a therapy dog, one that's trained specifically to help Briana.
"Balance (is an) issue, being able to be right next to her taking care of her. It will be able to navigate her around obstacles," said Noah.
"It would just be her friend. She would have somebody to count on and she can go out there and not be afraid," said her mom.
"He is going to stay beside me and help me if I get lost. He's going to be my friend," said Briana.
Briana has even picked out a name. "Tomato."
It's a gift Briana's parents feel is well deserved for a girl who's strong will and great attitude has helped her to overcome her physical weaknesses.
"If you ask her why she can't move her left arm, she'll say I don't know but I can move my right one," said Jeanny.
Said her father, "She doesn't give up she doesn't take no for an answer. She finds a way to do things one way or another."
The therapy dog comes with a $14,000 price tag, and the housing community the Nakaya's live in are holding a walk-a-thon on May 10th to raise money.
For more information on the event or if you would like to contribute, you can call Jeanny Nakaya at 318-550-4043.
