New leash on life

ICAN Dolly and Kevin

Kevin Massey had a typical childhood. He went to school and loved to play sports, especially basketball. However, in 2010, his life took a drastic turn.

At 16-years-old, Kevin was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an inoperable tumor on the brainstem that primarily affects children. Soon after his diagnosis, Kevin went through radiation treatment and suffered a brain bleed.

This led to significant changes in Kevin’s physical mobility, and he began using a wheelchair.

Recognizing Kevin’s new challenges, his doctors recommended he get a service dog to assist with daily tasks.

That’s when Kevin’s family found Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN), and he was placed with Aria, a black labrador and golden retriever mix in 2014.

When he was matched with Aria, Kevin was a freshman at the University of Kentucky. She immediately began helping him to be independent by opening and closing doors and retrieving dropped items.

Kevin explained that his teachers and peers would often approach him, excited to talk and ask questions about Aria, which helped to bridge the social gap.

After dedicating ten years of loyal service as Kevin’s service dog, Aria sadly passed away, leaving a profound void in not only Kevin’s life, but also in the lives of his friends and family.

Although the bond they shared was irreplaceable, Kevin knew he would need a successor dog to continue helping him with daily tasks. In 2023, he was placed with Dolly, and Kevin recalled that they “immediately clicked” on their first day of Team Training.

With Dolly by his side, Kevin volunteers as the assistant coach for Franklin Central High School’s varsity basketball team, sharing his advice to help the players succeed.

When Dolly hears an item fall, she immediately picks it up and returns it to Kevin – an invaluable task that once required Kevin to wait for someone to help.

She can even retrieve named objects, like “phone” or “blanket”, and place them in Kevin’s lap.

“Having a service dog is a lot of work, but so worth it,” he said. “My service dogs have helped not only me, but also the people around me. I’m more independent and don’t have to rely so much on others for help.”

You can help clients like Kevin find independence. Learn more at icandog.org.