A new family fun board game called Racing Ogres could help provide a medical alert assistance dog for a young Engadine boy with a rare metabolic condition.
Sarah and Grant Dodds are raising funds to trial an assistance dog, believing it could dramatically change the life of their son Isaac, 8.
Isaac, whom they call their "miracle boy" because of the challenges he has faced and overcome, has a condition called citrullinaemia type 1, which can result in brain damage, coma or even be fatal due to high levels of toxic ammonia building up in the body.
An assistance dog would be able to smell high ammonia and raise the alert.
"Isaac has recently had several occurrences of high ammonia only discovered by routine blood tests and he was not showing any symptoms," Ms Dodds said.
"An assistance dog would also assist with other complex challenges in daily living functions enabling Isaac to have greater participation in family and community life and build his independence.
"We will share our experience of an assistance dog with the Australian and Worldwide metabolic associations and groups to help build up the body of evidence for this potentially life changing addition to our family."
An assistance dog will cost the family about $40,000, and that doesn't include ongoing expenses.
Isaac's godfather Matt Humphreys aims to raise awareness about the fundraising campaign and also contribute funds to it through his Racing Ogres board game.
The Waterfall resident and pastoral associate at St John Bosco Parish said he loved board games when he was a kid and has a continuing passion for them.
"I have over 20 years experience running youth groups and youth camps where creating and improvising games and activities is part of the culture," he said.
"Creating new board games has become a natural progression, and over the last three years I have been refining one of my concepts that has shown the most promise.
"This has involved many prototypes, reworkings, and test playing. The result is Racing Ogres, a table top party game of bluff and prediction for up to eight people of all ages."
Mr Humphreys has produced a final prototype of the game but needs 100 people to pledge for a copy of the game by the November 9 to provide an initial print run.
He is running a campaign on Kickstarter, which helps bring creative projects to life.
"Kickstarter does not allow fundraising, but Isaac has been brought on as our official game tester, and he will receive payment for every copy we are able to sell in Australia," Mr Humphreys said.
"Basically whatever profits we make will go towards Isaac's payments for game testing.
"It is my hope that we can contribute to some of the ongoing costs with owning an assistance dog."
The campaign to provide Isaac with an assistance dog, visit: https://www.mycause.com.au/p/229672/a-life-changing-assistance-dog-for-isaac
The Racing Ogres board game, visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/
Murray Trembath
St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news. Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au
St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news. Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au
