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Nine-year-old Jojo raising funds to pay for his service dog

Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier - 2/12/2021

Feb. 12—CEDAR FALLS — Tanya Lawin, a single mother of two children who works 50 hours a week and takes full-time graduate courses, was desperate for relief last year. Not from her two jobs or rigorous studies to become a nurse practitioner — she was anguishing over how autism was affecting her 9-year-old son, Joeziah, also known as Jojo.

"There's a lot of days he just can't make it through the school day. He just gets really upset and takes a while to calm down," she said.

When she heard about the benefits of a service dog, she knew Jojo would be a perfect candidate.

"We're hoping a dog will help calm him down before he gets upset," she said.

But Lawin knew cost would be an issue with pricing anywhere from $12,000-25,000 for a service dog.

It was Jojo who came up with a money-making operation that has garnered him more than $6,000 of his $15,000 goal in just five months.

"I didn't think we could get a dog with cans and bottles, but we are," Lawin said.

Tanya describes her son as extremely intelligent.

"You would never know he has autism," she said, except for a lack of eye contact and some repetitive motions.

Jojo is in third grade at North Cedar Elementary in Cedar Falls. He struggles in reading and writing but excels in math and is taking fourth-grade curriculum.

"He can also tell you everything about dinosaurs," Lawin said.

Jojo has been diagnosed with severe ADHD, severe anxiety, sensory disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. He is a patient at the University of Iowa Centers for Disease and Disabilities in Iowa City, where he was told last year he had autism. But with an ongoing pandemic and a backlog of appointments, Jojo has not yet had his follow-up appointment to receive an official diagnosis.

When Jojo gets upset, he explodes, Lawin said, and becomes nonverbal. Going out in public can often be overstimulating for him.

Lawin works at Test Iowa and an area nursing home, and also takes care of her four-year-old daughter.

"It's challenging, but we make it work. My mom is a huge helper. She helps keep me sane and helps with the kids," she said.

Last year, Lawin asked one of Jojo's therapists if there was anything else they could do. He was still struggling with three therapy classes per week and an individualized education plan at school.

The counselor suggested a service dog.

"I'm going to be honest, I can't afford it," she told Jojo.

And without an official autism diagnosis, Lawin ran into red tape. She tried 10-15 service dog businesses across the country, including Retrieving Freedom, but was denied each time. Even with a diagnosis, Lawin was still facing one- to three-year waiting lists for a trained service dog.

But Jojo was delighted by the idea of a service dog, so Tanya made a deal with him: If he could collect $200, she would find a way to afford the rest.

First he mowed lawns for family and neighbors before he realized how quickly he could collect cans and bottles, especially during a pandemic when most redemption centers were closed. Lawin told Jojo's story on Facebook, and it went viral. Soon strangers were loading them up with cans and bottles, some even giving them cash.

"We got an overwhelming response for people wanting to help," Lawin said.

Jojo and his mom sort and bag cans in their garage about once a week. They have filled the garage seven times with cans, Jojo said. Lawin took the cans to the Metro Area Redemption in Cedar Falls every week when employees noticed she was a frequent customer. They learned of Jojo's challenge and offered to pick up the recyclables each week.

Jojo still collects cans, but as the temperatures dropped the cold weather became more agitating for Jojo. People began dropping cans off to their home.

The donations have helped Lawin purchase Bella, a 5-month-old golden retriever. Jojo and Bella became fast friends.

"I really like when she lays on me," Jojo said. "It's comfortable."

Bella leaves on Sunday to attend Hands and Paws Canine training in Illinois, a six-month service dog training school. When Bella returns home, she will be Jojo's official service dog and will accompany him to school.

"This will make a world of difference for him," Lawin said.

For more information, or to donate, go to

https://www.gofundme.com/f/jo-jos-service-dog?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR2AUVHmj8dcK4vvV34n52XGGWycadPpcuLxyxN0MbAkl-t64g4KT1SJ8i4

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(c)2021 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa)

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