Shawn Wintermote, a military veteran, understands how important a service dog can be. When he learned that a friend's teenage son needed one, he decided to raise money to help.
Wintermote has his own service dog. She travels everywhere with him and can detect changes in his blood pressure or signs of a heart attack. He felt strongly that he needed to do something for the boy.
The boy, 14-year-old Zachary Cook, lives with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Wintermote set a fundraising goal high enough to cover the cost of the dog and its training.
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Wintermote shared that they quickly exceeded their fundraising goal. He initially aimed for $13,000, thinking it was a big target. However, they reached that amount in just three weeks.
Zachary's new dog, Kobe, will join the family soon. Zachary's father, Greg Cook, said that everyone loves Zachary. He has a big heart, and his school friends are very supportive of him.
Wintermote admires Zachary's positive attitude. He noted that Zachary's spirit has made him rethink his own outlook.
Any extra money raised will go towards helping another person get a service dog. Zachary's family also started a separate GoFundMe page to help with other expenses.
