Donna Purcell beams as she snuggles 7-week-old black Labrador puppy Dora, who will quickly start an 18-month training program to end up being a Guide Dog.
It’s a bittersweet experience for Donna, who is grieving the loss of her own faithful Guide Dog, Dora, who lost her fight with Lymphoma in 2015.
Young puppy Dora has actually been called in memory of Donna’s Dora – likewise a black Labrador – who securely directed Donna through Sydney’s hectic streets and around the nation for 5 years.
“The relationship with your Guide Dog is special and the bond is unique because you really have to trust that dog with your life,” Donna says.
“Dora was the ideal Guide Dog. When she was working, she was not sidetracked by anybody or anything. She was constantly concentrated on me and keeping me safe.
“She was extremely unique and there’s simply this deep sense of loss in your stomach and in your heart.”
As a blind female, Donna has actually invested much of her life browsing her method through difficulties.
After maturing in Broken Hill with little assistance for vision loss, Donna left home at 15 and worked her method as much as senior executive functions.
Today, she’s a leader in creating and establishing techniques for inclusive and available work environments and neighborhoods in Australia.
Donna holds essential functions at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) as Disability Champion and Participant Advocate and is a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) individual herself.
But having actually gotten rid of many barriers to be where she is today, Donna now deals with among her biggest difficulties yet.
Seven months after losing Dora, Donna is waiting to be matched with a brand-new Guide Dog.
On International Guide Dog Day, she is sharing her challenging journey to help raise awareness.
“I think this is an important educational story. Part of being a participant in the NDIS is that not all journeys go as planned and some don’t have happy endings,” Donna says.
“In my case, both the NDIS and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT offered remarkable assistance through that journey of Dora’s treatment. While it did not go as we hoped, it belongs to the daily life for an individual with special needs, or for everybody actually. Dogs, like human beings, get ill and life’s situations alter. A dog dies or needs to retire all of a sudden.
“And while Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is doing all they can to match me with a brand-new dog, it’s not about discovering any dog, it’s about discovering the best dog.
“I travel a lot for my work, so my dog must be comfortable with a lot of travel and small enough to get on planes. Not all dog personalities are going to match that.”
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT’s Guide Dog Mobility Instructor Doug Ritchie says matching Guide Dogs with users is complex.
“Every partnership is built on trust, companionship, and a strong connection. We carefully match someone like Donna with a Guide Dog based on personality, mobility needs and lifestyle. It’s a considered and important process; it’s essential a Handler and their dog share a powerful bond.”
This year’s style for International Guide Dog Day is ‘Talk to the Handler’.
“A working Guide Dog in harness can go anywhere with their Handler, it’s a legal right,” Doug says. “It’s important to give them access, and not to distract a working Guide Dog so they can focus on their skilled work.”
As the look for Donna’s ‘perfect match’ continues, she says she acutely feels Dora’s loss.
But it’s not simply distress Donna is handling – it’s likewise her loss of self-reliance.
“It’s incredible how big a gap not having a dog has left,” she says. “I’m using a cane to move around Sydney’s CBD and it’s something I’ve never had to do before. Navigating through Central Station is a nightmare. I’m relying on my husband and other people a lot more for help now.”
Donna stays positive and confident for the future. She’s been delighting in time with brand-new Guide Dog puppies, raised by Leanne who likewise raised Dora.
“Leanne went through that journey with me of losing Dora and was with me when she passed away, but she has now brought a new Dora into the world, which is a beautiful full circle moment,” Donna says.
“While Dora number 2 won’t be my new dog, in about a year and a half, hopefully she’ll be a beautiful little guide for someone else. And I’m hopeful the right dog for me is not far away.”
Click on the link for additional information about International Guide Dog Day 2023 .
