Leon Bulner was diagnosed with autism when he was a toddler. He kept to himself a lot and didn’t speak to anyone. But things changed when he met a very special dog named Fern, who showed him how to be confident and happy.
Leon meets Fern
Leon’s parents nicknamed him Mancub because he looked like Mowgli, the main character in The Jungle Book. Leon was diagnosed with autism when he was younger. He also has Chiari malformation, a rare brain condition that causes extreme headaches.
Leon lives in his own little world. He does not interact with others, and he also refuses to speak. But when Leon met a cocker spaniel named Fern, he learned to step out of his shell and express his emotions.
The family’s original intention of getting Fern was to have the dog help with their falconry business. But the first time Leon met Fern, they saw something in Leon they’d never seen before. They saw stars in his eyes. And for the first time, Leon allowed someone to be close to him.
Fern is affectionate towards Leon. When Leon gets terrible headaches, he tends to bang his head. Fern instinctively runs towards Leon and prevents him from hurting himself.
Paw-sitive changes
After noticing Fern’s positive impacts on their son, Leon’s parents decided to hire a professional trainer to teach Fern all the possible ways she can help Leon in his daily life.
The intelligent dog picked up on her lessons quickly. She learned to comfort Leon when he has a meltdown. Fern helps him get dressed and brings him his feeding supplies. She even helps around the house by loading up the washing machine.
Leon and Fern have become inseparable, and they do everything together. Fern helped Leon become more confident of himself that he’s now one talkative boy!
Leon’s parents wanted to share Leon and Fern’s amazing story, so they established a non-profit organization that pairs kids with autism with assistance dogs.
Indeed, Fern has significantly transformed Leon’s life for the better. Their story is one solid proof that dogs are truly our best friends.
Thanks to mancub_and_fern
