難病の11歳少女、大型犬に支えられ歩きかたを学ぶ

モルキオ症候群という病気で、自分で歩くことが困難だった11歳のベラ・バートンさん。1匹のグレート・デーンとの出会いが彼女の生活を変えた。

11歳のベラ・バートンさんは、生まれつきモルキオ症候群を患っている。これは非常に稀な遺伝子の病気で、骨に影響を与え運動を著しく制限するムコ多糖症の一種だ。バートンさんは何回もの手術と数えきれないほどの治療を受けてきたが、それでも自分で歩くことは困難で、移動には常に松葉杖や車いすが必要だった。

しかし、グレート・デーン犬のジョージとの出会いが彼女の生活を変えた。

「彼は私にとって杖と同じように頼りになる存在です」。バートンさんは犬のパートナーについてABCニュースに語った

ジョージは、マサチューセッツ州イプスウィッチにある「介助犬プロジェクト」で訓練を受けた介助犬だ。少女が行くところにはどこでもついて行き、彼女もこの犬の大きな体を支えにして、彼と並んでしっかりと歩いている。

バートンさんは「車いす、歩行器、カナディアン・クラッチ、松葉杖を使っていたけど、ジョージが来てから杖は使わなくなりました。この子を頼りにするようになったんです」とWCVBに対して語った。

ジョージが初めて少女に出会ったのは2014年のことだ。少女が受けてきた他のどの治療よりも、運動機能と気力を回復させた。今では、ベラは広場で走ったり遊んだりすることができ、ショッピングモールに買い物にも行くことができる。1月に彼女の家族がジョージを連れて来る前は、それらは苦痛を伴う活動だった。

「ジョージのおかげで、この子はとても強く元気になりました」と少女の母親レイチェル・バートンさんは、地元の報道局Home News Hereに対して語った。

ジョージは「私達が望んだ中でも、最も忠実な犬でした。犬の体重が59kg、そしてうちの子は20kgでしたが、この犬はこの子の周りのことを完璧にこなします。そして、子供が言うことなら何でもしてくれるんです」。

少女の生活へのジョージの非常に大きな貢献に対し、米国ケンネルクラブの12月の式典でこの犬には名犬賞(ACE)が贈られた。

「ジョージとベラは分かつことができない絆で結ばれています。彼は少女のためなら何でもするでしょう。彼のおかげで少女は自信、自立と幸せを得ることができました」、と米国ケンネルクラブはサイト上に投稿した。

グレート・デーンは、「地域社会にいる飼い主と人々の人生に非常に有意義な影響を与えた」5犬種の中の1種として表彰されている。

この記事はハフポストUS版に掲載されたものを翻訳しました。

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