PASADENA, Md — Six-year-old Ari Jarrett has no problem getting down on the floor with his new puppy, Rocket. He buries his face in Rocket's face, snuggling the dog that will one day be his service animal.
Ari is wheelchair-bound. His mom, Brianna Jarrett, said he was born with skeletal anomalies that impacted the development of his spinal cord.
"It's very similar to spina bifida but not exactly spina bifida. He has limited function from the waist down," she said.
The family is working with a group to train Rocket with whatever Ari needs, from picking things off the floor to helping his balance. Brianna said the cost is around $15,000 and is not covered by insurance.
"[Rocket] is just a baby so we expect that he’ll be with Ari for a long, long time. And he’ll be Ari’s companion at doctor's appointments and our frequent hospital admissions."
It's just one of two things his family is hoping to raise money for at a fundraiser on August 10. The other is a special sports wheelchair. Brianna said the one he uses now to play sports like tennis and basketball is too large.
"He’s smaller than an average seven-year-old so it's important for the chair to fit him properly."
The wheelchair is about $5,000 and is also not covered by insurance. Brianna said the wheelchair and Rocket will both greatly improve her son's quality of life.
"He lights up when he plays sports, that is the only community that he’s part of where there are also kids who are wheelchair-bound," she said. "Other children that don’t have special needs can just join a sports team and I want him to have that ability as well."
The Jarretts are using HelpHopeLive to host a charity trivia night at Faith Baptist Church in Glen Burnie. There will be a silent auction and raffle. Tickets are $20 a person.
"If nothing else, I hope that people get the opportunity to see that kids with special needs are such an important part of our community and important part of the fabric of who we are and something to be celebrated and supported as much as possible," said Brianna.
Click here for details about trivia night and to purchase tickets. There is also an online auction that ends on August 10.
