Harry and Kowhai - two years on
Harry is almost eight now. He loves Lego, chess, Greek mythology, and any story full of magic and adventure. And wherever Harry is, Assistance Dog Kōwhai is right beside him.
Harry spent the first two years of his life mostly in hospital. His body doesn't make enough acetylcholine — the chemical that carries messages from the brain to the muscles, including the ones he needs to breathe. His breathing can fail at a moment's notice, and when it does, he needs a ventilator to keep him safe.
In 2024, thanks to people like you, Harry was matched with Assistance Dog Kowhai. She's trained to help keep him safe.
When Harry is too active, it can lead to respiratory arrest — but Kōwhai has been trained to notice the warning signs and catch it before it's too late. She gently nudges him behind the knees to remind him to stop and rest, then stays with him, resting her chin on his legs until he's recovered. His mum, Natasha, says, "He looks for her when he's uncomfortable or upset, and just her presence can settle his breathing."
Harry still has frequent diaphragmatic failure, so large parts of his day are spent sitting quietly, recovering, with his ventilator supporting his breathing. He can't go to mainstream school, and he can't run around a playground the way other children do. But the hardest part of Harry's life, Natasha says, isn't the medical side. It's the isolation.
Kōwhai changes everything.
She is his belonging. Harry watches his big brother James head off to school and playdates — the everyday things Harry can't have. "While most kids Harry's age get confidence, support and a sense of belonging from friends," Natasha says, "we see Harry get those things from Kōwhai." She sleeps on his bed. She comes to school with him each morning and sits beside him through his swimming and cello lessons. "Harry spends a lot of his day playing quietly with his toys with Kōwhai beside him — and in these moments, we see he is truly content.""No eight-year-old wants to be without peers, or unable to run around and play. But this is a constant for Harry."
She's given him confidence. "Harry knows he can do anything with Kōwhai beside him," Natasha says. Harry happily explains to anyone that his body doesn't make enough acetylcholine — a self-advocacy that will keep him safe for the rest of his life. "We know Kōwhai is a big part of this quiet confidence he's developed. He never feels alone."
She's impacted the whole family. "Kōwhai gives us a can-do attitude as a family. Situations we would have shied away from in the past — going to the cricket, or a show at the local theatre — we believe we can do. She keeps us connected, calm, grounded and positive."
Nowhere was that clearer than when they had a house fire last year, losing their home and everything in it. In the middle of it, Natasha remembers looking at her husband Ben and realising they had what mattered. "We said, it's OK — we have Kōwhai, Harry's ventilator and an oxygen tank. We have all we need." That night, both boys fell asleep with Kōwhai beside them.
Now imagine Harry without her.
"We hate to think what this time would have looked like," Natasha says — a little boy who, because of his condition, would have no best friend at his side, and a family without the confidence to get out into the world.
That's the difference an Assistance Dog makes — and right now, 15 more children are waiting for theirs. Every one of those children is waiting on a puppy who hasn't finished training yet. Kōwhai started exactly the same way — a puppy with a big promise, and two years of training ahead of her before she could learn to read Harry's body and keep him safe. None of it happens without people who believe a dog like her is worth it.
To support more young New Zealanders like Harry, please consider making a donation today. Thank you 💙
