Two high school seniors with disabilities, Delaney Johnson and Nick Ackerman, thought they’d never go to prom but their service dogs had other plans. Johnson suffers from a condition called narcolepsy with cataplexy and has debilitating episodes up to 20 times daily. Her Dutch Shepherd service dog, Griffin, distracts her from the anxiety that causes her attacks and keeps her functional throughout the day. Ackerman was born missing his upper and lower arms and is accompanied by Troy, his German Shepherd service dog that helps him carry items and zips up zippers. Both Johnson and Ackerman are successful individuals, Johnson being a singer-songwriter and Ackerman a school debater leaving for college in the fall. The two met at school when Ackerman was working on a documentary about service dogs and instantly hit it off. When they realized neither had a prom date, they decided to take themselves and their service dogs.
The amazing story of these two inspiring young adults can be seen in this video and we hope it helps bring to light the incredible work that service dogs can do. Without their dogs, these two would not have made it to prom and would be living much more disabled lives. Instead, they’re just as able, if not more, to do anything.
