Marysville Globe, January 18, 2014

Page 1

GLOBE THE MARYSVILLE

SPORTS:

Seattle’s defense is not only great, it’s predictable. Page 12

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2014  WWW.MARYSVILLEGLOBE.COM  75¢

Therapy dog helps local boy connect to world BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com

SPORTS: Tulalip

Heritage downs Highland Christian. Page 10

Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo

Campbell the therapy dog and 8-year-old Christopher Wells have bonded quickly during their time together.

SPORTS: M-P, MG

come up short against Mt. Vernon. Page 10

INDEX CLASSIFIED ADS 14-17 LEGAL NOTICES

9

OPINION

4

SPORTS

10

WORSHIP

5

950472

Vol. 120, No. 29

MARYSVILLE — For most of his life, Christopher Wells has been trapped in his own body, but over the course of the past years a four-legged friend named Campbell has helped him connect to the outside world. Christopher suffered a severe brain hemorrhage while he was still in his mother Christine’s womb, and his premature birth left him unable to walk, talk or feed himself, with almost nonexistent vision. Although Christopher is cognitively aware, his inability to communicate often leaves him frustrated, which used to cause him to bang his head against the wall or floor or other hard surfaces. “Even in one of my favorite photos of my two kids, Christopher’s poor forehead is all bruised,” Christine Wells said. “He’s 8 years old, but the doctors say he has a gestational age of 6-9 months.

I’ve seen his sister, who’s 14 months younger than him, shoot past him on all their developmental milestones, and my heart just breaks for him.” While other forms of therapy seemed to have little effect, the Wells family found what they deemed their salvation from Summit Assistance Dogs in Anacortes, who supplied them with a therapy dog, after a rigorous training and screening process to ensure that the dog in question would meet Christopher’s unique needs. “We first met Campbell last year, after an exhaustive process and a lot of interviews,” Christine Wells said of the two-and-a-half-yearold Golden Retriever. “A lot of the dogs couldn’t deal with Christopher, but when he started screaming, she just reacted like, ‘Okay, so what next?’ His behavior didn’t have a negative effect on her at all, but she was concerned SEE DOG, PAGE 19

Lakewood schools celebrate centennial BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com

LAKEWOOD — For the Lakewood School District it was an evening to commemorate a century of history, but for many attendees of the district’s annual Open House and Tech Expo on Tuesday, Jan. 14, it was an occasion to catch up with old acquaintances and reflect on lifetimes’ worth of experiences. Sue Walde, who serves as the publications chair for the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society, wound up snapping some shots of class photos from

the old Lakewood School, including one picture with a connection to her own family’s history. “In Miss Kramer’s class of 1935-36, there’s Harold Brevik,” Walde said, pointing to one student’s face in the black and white photo. “He was the husband of my great-aunt, Betty Berg. It’s really wonderful to be able to connect with the past on a personal level like this.” Local historian Loren Kraetz did not attend any Lakewood schools himself, SEE LWSD, PAGE 2

Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo

From left, Lakewood High School class of 2002 alumnus Jennifer Campbell, her mother and Lakewood Junior High School class of 1977 alumnus Kristine Campbell, and Dixie Burgess peruse historical records from the Lakewood School District on Jan. 14.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Marysville Globe, January 18, 2014 by Sound Publishing - Issuu