Caleigh Concannon is the sweetest little girl who’s just crazy about canines. She adores pooches so much that she convinced her mom Heather to volunteer with her at Golden Opportunities for Independence, a pup farm that trains service dogs.
The farm’s mission is to empower people with a disability to live a more fulfilling life with the love and assistance of a dog and a mentor. The farm not just trains, but also breeds these beautiful helpers.
The dog farm focuses on providing dogs to disabled handlers and asks that they fundraise $5,000 toward the cost of the dog. The farm also assists with cost mitigation by fundraising, too, since the cost of breeding and training a service dog can range between $15,000 and $35,000 depending upon the level of assistance a recipient needs.
One way to help curb operational costs is to rely on volunteers like Caleigh and her mom. Extra helping hands truly adds up.
One day when they were helping out, Caleigh needed to use the restroom. She ended up being in the right place at the right time and saved a man’s life.
“She had asked to go to the bathroom. She knew where it was. So she ran in.”
But when Caleigh dashed inside the bathroom, she saw something alarming. She instantly snapped into action.
“I ran back to my mom. And then I’m like, there’s someone sleeping on the floor.”
The man she thought was snoozing on the floor turned out to be Michael Flynn, the farm’s director of operations. And he wasn’t sleeping; he was having an epileptic seizure.
Caleigh clearly knew something was wrong with the man. But how?
“Because my dad has diabetes.”
The little girl knows that her dad’s diabetes can cause him to pass out, so she’s been trained what to do in the event that happens. She recognized that the man on the floor was probably sick like her dad could be.
“She figured out he was having a seizure, and she called the ambulance and stuff like that. She knew exactly what to do, and she’s four years old.”
Michael knew little Caleigh was a fantastic volunteer, but he had no idea she would one day save his life. Thank goodness Caleigh has been trained to call 911 in an emergency. Otherwise, the outcome could’ve been much different and much more devastating.
“I am so proud of her. I am just in awe at the responsibility and the seriousness and her perception in handling the situation.”
Michael and Heather weren’t the only ones who were impressed with Caleigh’s actions. The Walpole Police Department awarded Caleigh a Community Hero Award, said Walpole Police Chief John Carmichael.
“The situation could have been a lot worse than it was and so as a result, she really is a community hero.”
Some adults might not have been able to remain calm, cool and collected like Caleigh, and respond as quickly and wonderfully as she did. Watch the video below and see how perceptive and mature Caleigh happens to be, especially when facing such a harrowing situation.
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