a young man sitting in a chair and looking at the dog sitting next to him

Finding Balance, Well-Being and a Canine Pal Though SEAL

September 26, 2023

Chris was going through some significant challenges a few years ago.

Medical issues from his childhood on had made it necessary for him to live in a VOA group home in Princeton, MN. He moved into the house in 2014 and was comfortable there for years, but bad news came in bundles for him a few years ago.

In 2018, his beloved service dog Timo died. About the same time his brother, who had been taking care of his mother, passed away. Beyond the grief and loneliness he was feeling, Chris worried about his mother, who was also grieving and had medical issues too. In 2020, the group home Chris was living in had to close temporarily. Chris wanted to live in an apartment near his mother in Cambridge, but he couldn’t find anything suitable.

VOA’s Disability Services staff came up with a solution. Chris could participate in the new Service Enhanced Apartment Living (SEAL) program that would allow him to live in a more independent shared living environment. Through SEAL, Chris lives semi-independently outside of a group home atmosphere and stays connected to a team of staff, such as Jenna Drury, who are available 24/7 to help him tackle daily life challenges. Chris’ mobility is severely impacted by degenerative medical issues, so technology is installed in his home that can alert people when he falls, when he hasn’t taken his medication and more.

VOA’s “SEAL Team” was also on hand to assist Chris in his efforts to adopt another service dog – this one through Hopkins MN-based Helping Paws. It took several years but in early 2023 Chris was introduced to Fritz, a friendly 2 ½ year-old Golden Retriever, specially trained to grab things Chris needs, keep him from falling and even alert others when Chris is in trouble. Chris went through several training sessions and Jenna and other VOA staff were with him every step of the way, even attending the required trainings with him.

“I never realized how much he was invested in the service dog until I was at the training,” Jenna recalled, noting that much of the training for her was to not interact too much with Fritz so the dog understands that Chris is the guy he needs to pay attention to.

a woman standing next to a young man with a dog sitting between them

Jenna notes that since Fritz came, Chris is happier, more confident and calmer. Chris calls it a symbiotic relationship in his home. Fritz and Chris take care of each other, and Chris is close enough to his mother that he is able to stay connected with her. Fritz and his mom’s Chihuahua are still working things out but Chris is confident that canine harmony will eventually be achieved!

SEAL staff are there too, when needed. Chris credits SEAL and VOA for changing his life for the better.

“If SEAL hadn’t been invented I’d probably still be in a group home… I’d be lost without them,” Chris noted.

Jenna and other staff replied that Chris was actually the one responsible for making his own life better, but that they are happy to support him. In the end, SEAL’s role is a little like Fritz’s – being there and helping Chris live his own full life; independent, but with everybody in his little community doing what they can to care for each other.