A boy and his dog – it's a relationship built for childhood.
But when you’re a special 8-year-old boy named Treavor Hill and a special service dog named Tucker, that relationship comes with a cost: $15,000.
Now, Treavor's family is in a race against time to raise the money.
He prays every night for something he knows he needs and already loves – for strength, for comfort, and obedience.
There were dozens of dogs Treavor could have teamed up with at Superior K-9, but there was never a question it would be Tucker.
"He came to me out of everyone, he came straight to me!" Trevor recalled.
When they're together, everything changes.
"I feel very comfortable, confident, and proud," he said.
Treavor was 6 years old when his parents realized something was seriously wrong. He had already been diagnosed with Autism, but there was something more.
"He would eat with his fingers and we would say, 'Why are you eating with your fingers? Please use your fork or spoon'," his mother Holly described. "And he said he couldn't, and we didn't understand."
For the next two years, Holly said they met with doctor after doctor trying to find answers.
"He started running in to walls, he would fall for no reason, he couldn't tie his shoes," she listed.
Treavor was finally diagnosed with Dyspraxia, a neurological disorder that makes it difficult to move. And as Treavor grows up, it gets worse.
His mom knew she wanted to get a service dog trained before his condition deteriorated, but then she saw the price – $15,000.
"When people ask, 'How much is it?' and then I have to tell them that number, that's when I start to get defeated. Like it's too big a mountain to climb," she said.
Treavor and Tucker are learning together. There will be hundreds of hours of training to make sure Tucker can give Treavor what he needs.
PHOTOS | Trevor and his dog named Tucker
Treavor and his dog named Tucker
Holly knows Tucker is a gift her son must have.
"When you're a mother, you'll do anything, and when you can't financially pay for what they need is hard. And to ask for help is harder," Holly explained.
So she started making potholders with Treavor. There is no set price, just donations of love towards a little boys future.
"Our saying now is that we'll get Tucker through prayers and potholders, that's our saying now," she said.
Treavor has faith he and Tucker are meant to be together – and together they can face anything.
"It's gonna be hard, but with Tucker and me, and with God, nothing is impossible," he said simply.
The family is also taking donations through a GoFundMe account and posting updates on their Facebook page. Any extra money raised will go to another kid who may also need a service dog.
