Chancer: How One Good Boy Saved Another

Winokur writes of adopting two infants from Russia: a boy, Iyal, and a girl, Morasha, each from a different orphanage. Their first two years are wonderful, but then Iyal begins to have explosive tantrums and wakes up every night in a rage. After being taken to different specialists, Iyal is diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)—his brain and central nervous had been irreversibly damaged in utero. At age nine, Iyal could only speak in baby talk and required a full-time aide at school, and his parents' nonstop attention at home. Ultimately, Winokur learns of 4 Paws for Ability, a nonprofit service dog agency in Ohio that places dogs with autistic children. Iyal is eventually matched with Chancer, a large golden retriever who had been neglected by previous owners. Almost immediately, Chancer learns to sense when Iyal might be having a tantrum, then "nuzzles" and calms the boy. While Chancer cannot cure Iyal, his presence mitigates the disability and provides unconditional love.