Indianapolis family seeks perfect dog for perfect son, but time isn't on their side

Even if Allison and Chris Harris of Indianapolis were handed $20,000 tomorrow, it will take years before their son can get a service dog. Time is not on their side. Their son's disorder has steadily worsened as the Harrises struggle to get him help.

"You want your child to grow up, to have a normal life," Allison Harris said. "We didn't know what kind of life he would have. This disease can be very devastating. There's kids that have died from polymicrogyria because it's so extreme."

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"No one deserves this disease," Chris Harris said.

Ryder Harris is 6 years old. He's the sweetest boy in the world, his parents say. There's a big happy grin on his face always, despite a long list of daunting impairments. Among them include epilepsy, muscle weakness, hearing loss, cerebral palsy — Ryder Harris cannot walk without assistance; he must sit in a wheelchair. He has a tube to help him eat. He has cognitive, motor, and speech delays. His mother fears he'll never talk.

But a growing worry for his parents are the seizures, which began at around age 3, and are becoming more frequent. After six failed medications, the next step might involve brain surgery.

"His seizures have gotten really bad," Allison Harris said. "He has them mainly at night, which puts us in a bind because we're up all night making sure he's OK."

Parents hope dog would alert them of seizures, comfort son

Due to his condition, the Harrises have a specialized camera set up in Ryder's bedroom to monitor signs of seizures. Whenever the 6-year-old shakes and twitches for long intervals, an alarm blares on Chris and Allison's nightstand, and they rush to their son's side.

Lately, the Harrises' alarm has been going off as many as five times a night.

The seizure camera adds a layer of security, his parents say, but it doesn't detect the onset of seizures. Allison Harris worries her son could suffocate. She once ran into his room and found him facedown on the mattress.

"It's usually about 20 seconds before the alarm goes off," she said. "It would be nice to have a dog to alert us before then — maybe not have to rely on the alarm," she said.

A service dog, his parents hope, could be trained to assist Ryder Harris in and out of his wheelchair, and help with other mobility issues. The 6-year-old has muscle weakness on his left side. With his right hand, he pushes himself in a manual wheelchair, his mother says, but he tends to go in a circle.

The dog could also comfort Ryder Harris after his seizures.

Allison and Chris Harris are working with a nonprofit organization in Ohio that trains service animals for people with disabilities. The agency — 4 Paws for Ability — specializes in helping children, but the cost is steep. The service fee is $20,000 and the wait list is a minimum of two years to breed, raise, and train the dog.

There's additional paperwork, contracts and recommendation letters to submit, as well as undergoing a mandatory 10-day training class for both Ryder and his parents once the dog is ready. Doing all of this will take lots of time and money, which is why Allison and Chris Harris have set up a GoFundMe to raise the necessary funds.

Meanwhile, life for the Harris family will go on like normal. Or as "normal" as normal can get.

'Ryder is a blessing to us'

On Tuesdays and Fridays, Ryder Harris attends occupational, physical and speech therapy at Franciscan Health. Throughout the week, he attends school in Franklin Township along with his 8-year-old sister, Kennedy.

"She loves Ryder," Allison Harris said. "She's a great big sister," adding the pair enjoy playing together and will sometimes wrestle on the floor. "I wouldn't say it's not a normal life, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Ryder is a blessing to us. He can put a smile on your face in two seconds."

"He's always happy," Chris Harris said. "He's a perfect little son."

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John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.