Alison's childhood was a happy one, filled with friends and riding horses. Adulthood brought college, a job with the Central Intelligence Agency, and marriage. Then a life altering event had a domino effect on her world. Without warning, Alison lost the sight in her left eye. She was given steroids to save her vision, but not only did it not help her vision, it caused her to lose her kidney function. At the age of 33, Alison found herself with no vision in her left eye, legally blind in her right, and on dialysis. Life spiraled out of control.
At the end of 1995, Alison received a gift – the gift of life. This gift was in the form of a kidney and pancreatic transplant. When her doctor found her marching in place, listening to her Walkman in her hospital room, he knew he had a fighter on his hands. With the love and support of her husband, her family and her in-laws, Alison fought back with a vengeance.
While going through OM (orientation and mobility training and rehabilitation), Alison's instructor suggested that she would make a great candidate for a guide dog. When she had fully recovered from her surgery, she applied to Guiding Eyes for the Blind for a guide dog.
In 1997, Coleen, a yellow Lab, came into Alison's life. Alison refers to Coleen as her teacher. “She was the dog that taught me to live again,” says Alison. The experience she had while training at the GEB facility allowed her to develop her skills and helped her adjust to living with her blindness. She bonded with the people she met during training, some of whom, like Alison, had recently lost their vision. This gave her the reassurance that she was not alone.
When Alison completed her first solo walk with Coleen she experienced great elation. As tears streamed down her face, she realized she had her confidence back.
Coleen was retired as a guide dog at the age of 10, and went on to become the family pet. Alison returned to GEB for another guide dog. Winnie, a spunky, black Lab became her partner. Having prior experience did not necessarily make this transition easier. Alison had to end one relationship in order to begin another. She praises Guiding Eyes for the Blind with making the perfect match for her both times.
Several years ago, Alison Dolan, along with her friend Alison Kelly , created a company to provide therapeutic horseback riding experiences for people with disabilities; ranging from autism, downs syndrome, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. Their clients range in age from 18 months to 70+ years. Their company named “Alisons' Whispers” enables the team of two Alisons to pursue their love of riding.
They find that riding has an impact on all aspects of life. Physically, it strengthens your core, your muscle tone, posture, and improves your balance and flexibility. It also affects cognitive issues by sharpening one's focus and ability to concentrate.
On an emotional level, it creates a sense of independence, self confidence and freedom. Directing a horse gives the rider a sense of control. It's also an equalizer. For there are few discerning differences between handicapped and non-handicapped students when sitting on a horse.
One of their miracles is a little girl with cerebral palsy who began her lessons slumped over the horse. After 1 ½ years of training, she is sitting tall in the saddle and holding onto the reins.
When asked how it felt to get back on a horse after she had lost her sight, Alison replied without hesitation, “I had come home.”
Alison continues to pay it forward. Guiding Eyes for the Blind and their incredible dogs enabled her to have a life. She is teaching others, as Guiding Eyes taught her, to move ahead and remain open to the opportunities around them. She looks forward to continuing her training on a Paraequestrian level for the ParaOlympics. She credits Coleen and Winnie for giving her the push to be active, accomplish her goals, continue to look forward and do all the things that make her life so rich.
Alison looks at her life as a set of building blocks. The foundation began with her guide dogs, who then became the catalyst for leading an active and productive life. First with Coleen, and now with Winnie, she regained the sense of confidence she had lost.
On Sunday, June 7th, the Westchester Horse Council will present “Dances with Horses,” a horse show to benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind. The show begins at 1PM at Coker Farm in Bedford, New York. All proceeds from the event will be donated directly to GEB. Dances With Horses is a celebration of the horse. The show features solo and synchronized riding demonstrations of various riding disciplines, all set to music. Breeds such as the American Quarter Horse, Andalusian, Lusitano, Tennessee Walking Horse and Thoroughbred will be highlighted. In addition, there will be pony rides, face painting, Guiding Eyes dogs and puppies and other activities for both children and adults. The event will be held rain or shine in Coker Farm's indoor arena. Food will be available. For more information contact Debbie Shecter at 646-872-0435.
About the author:
SHERRY BENNETT WARSHAUER is an award winning author of two non-fiction books, Everyday Heroes and Tails of the Heart. Both of these books detail the extraordinary and heart warming experiences of dogs trained by Guiding Eyes for the Blind. In addition to her writing non-fiction about these dogs, she writes children's books and raises and trains service dogs for Guiding Eyes. She makes her home in Stamford, with her husband and the therapy dog they have raised.
About the column: “K-9 HEROES”
This column is written as a living tribute to the extraordinary dedication and courage of dogs and people. We call these dogs “heroes” because of their work as guide dogs for the blind, crime fighters for the Connecticut State Police, search and rescue dogs as well as therapy dogs. The boundless effort these dogs continue to make to improve the lives of those they serve illustrates how one person's life can be dramatically changed by the love and help of a dog.
About Guiding Eyes for the Blind
Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 1956 to enrich the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women by providing them with the freedom to travel safely, thereby assuring greater independence, dignity and expanded horizons of opportunity. Since that time, Guiding Eyes has become one of the foremost guide dog schools in the world, graduating more than 7,000 guide dog teams. It provides superbly bred Guiding Eyes dogs, professional training and follow-up support services to students at no cost to them and depends on contributions to fulfill its mission. The comprehensive cost of breeding, raising, preparing, training, and supporting a Guiding Eyes team is $45,000. Guiding Eyes for the Blind's Headquarters and Training Center is located in Yorktown Heights, New York and the Canine Development Center is in Patterson, New York. Visit them at www.volunteer.guidingeyes.org or call 866-GEB-LABS for additional information.
