WICHITA, Kansas – For the blind and visually impaired, getting around town can be a challenge. But it’s one that’s proving to be a bit easier with help from some four-legged friends.
“He is my world,” said Andrew Crane of his dog, Orzo. “He has changed my life tremendously.”
It’s evident when you look at them - the love between man and man’s best friend. Orzo isn’t just Andrew Crane’s companion; the Black Lab is also his pair of eyes since the 23-year-old was born with only one.
“I was like devastated, I felt like I was in a nightmare,” said Debbie Crane, Andrew’s mother.
Debbie still remembers when the doctor came in and told her the news.
“That right there just blew me away,” she said.
But that isn't Andrew’s only challenge. He also has developmental delays and cerebral palsy in his legs, making it difficult for him to walk.
“We called him our ‘professional faller’, because he fell and tripped over everything,” said John Crane, Andrew’s father.
Even when he started using a cane, Andrew says he would still trip. But it would be one specific fall that would change his life. Andrew was in high school when a fire alarm went off.
“One of my friends picked me up and said, ‘Are you okay?’ and I said, 'I don't think so,'” said Andrew. “I made a big decision that day.”
Andrew decided to get a guide dog – a decision that led him to Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York.
In a promotional video, Andrew talks about his experience during the month-long training program there.
“He says, ‘I just got the keys to my brand new car,’ and I said, ‘What?’" said John. “Of course, that's when he got Orzo.”
As a guide dog, Orzo’s number one job is to help his owner.
“Once you put the harness on, he's automatically working,” said Andrew.
So when he’s at work, it’s best to keep your distance.
“They don't really like it and stuff when people try to come up and pet them,” said Andrew.
Doing that, Andrew says, distracts the dog from important work, like helping to save Andrew’s life. When he first got Orzo, the Lab stopped Andrew in his tracks as a car was backing out of a busy parking lot.
“Having him with me 24/7 has been nice,” he said.
It’s given Andrew the independence he desired and his parents the peace of mind they needed to know Andrew would be just fine living on his own.
“He's done way beyond what we ever thought, really,” said Debbie.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York is just one of many guide dog schools across the country. At that particular school, it costs more than $45,000 to breed, raise and train a guide dog. But those services are free to the blind.
