OurJourney

That "something" was Dewey. Just four years after Kimberly rescued him, the dog that nobody wanted, rescued her right back. Dewey was one of the talented and rare individuals that could detect and alert to impending seizure events. Kimberly grew to rely on Dewey's calming presence during her seizures, which had always been a very frightening experience for her. She drew comfort in his large body snuggled up next to hers while she slept off the exhaustive effects of the episode.

After watching a show on Animal Planet, Kimberly learned about service dogs and the amazing things the are taught to do for people with all types of disabilities. She researched training centers and gained a sense of hope that for the first time since her accident, life had more in store for her than just the prison her disabilities had confined her to. She learned that dogs who had the ability to alert to seizures could be specially-trained to become service dogs. She discovered that service dogs could be taught to do other tasks; and with the special training, were permitted in public places. She signed Dewey up for an intensive service dog training program which officially elevated his legal status from pet to service dog, and later he was evaluated, tested and earned his service dog certification.

Dewey pulled Kimberly's wheelchair, he alerted to her seizures, he taught her how to walk again; but most importantly, he taught her how to live again.

The following is a poem that Kimberly wrote for Dewey

when he first became her service dog:

I thought that I was saving him,

in what seems so long ago.

Yet he'd be the one to rescue me,

little did I know.

This "mutt", he stole my heart,

left there all alone.

For eighteen months, he knew no love,

chained to the porch that was his home.

I gave him love and shelter,

fixed his wounds and kept him fed.

Gave him toys and Milk Bones,

a family and a bed.

He fit right into my lifestyle,

went to work with me each day.

Filled my life with fun-filled memories-

ones I cherish most today.

The crash changed who I am today,

I'm not the same old "me".

Chained to my own aggressor, this time it was the "mutt" who set me free.

Dewey waltzed right through my fears

and put his needs aside--

to fill my world with light again

and fill my heart with pride.

This once-abandoned pup

is now my closet friend.

He escorts me through the game of life

and shows me there's no end.

No end of life, of victory;

just a shadow of a doubt--

took me beyond the darkness of disparity

to the land I'd heard about.

This four-footed angel was sent to me,

of that, I'm absolutely sure.

He opened my eyes to the beauty inside,

little things I'd never noticed before.

Four foot devotion was sent onto me,

to strengthen and raise my soul.

He helped my body start healing,

my heart to start feeling

and made my spirit whole.

Each day when I reflect

on who I was back then,

I see the master plan unravel

to bring me my closest friend.

A friend on which to lean on,

who'll never turn his back on me;

a friend who showed up just in time

to set my spirit free......

I love you, Dewey

With this amazing dog's selfless assistance, Carnevale was able to rebuild a life out of the rubble of her old one. She thought her troubles were over; little did she know they were just beginning...

Shortly after being partnered with her service dog, Kimberly started experiencing access denial, the illegal refusal of an establishment to grant entry to a service dog team. At first, her slurred, dyslexic speech refused to cooperate, and Kimberly was forced to return home, defeated by the illegal harassment. But soon, she found her voice again. Armed with an arsenal of knowledge of service dog law, and sheer athlete determination, Carnevale founded Canine and Abled, Inc. and set out on a mission to end access denial...one door at a time.

Together, Kimberly and Dewey opened many doors for service dogs everywhere, and embarked on a journey that is nothing short of a miracle. Dewey gave Kimberly a new dream, and provided her with the needed assistance to live independently again.

Through a grueling and painful rehabilitation, to combating access denial, learning how to read/write and talk again and battling cognitive issues to create an award-winning educational program and advocate for others--Kimberly faltered, but did not waiver from the path of success that she had set her athlete's mind on.

On November 9, 2002, Kimberly beat the odds again and gave birth to the child she'd yearned for, yet was told would be impossible due to medical complications. Her precious daughter, Sarah came into the world just three months after her father left--never to be heard from again. Kimberly loves being a Mom,. and bravely faces challenges of being a single parent with disabilities.

Kimberly lost her beloved Dewey in 2005 to cardiac failure. She was devastated by the loss, but became proactive in honoring her very special friend's memory. Not knowing how to cope with Dewey's death, Kimberly decided to think positively and with even more zest and determination than before, she announced a month later that Canine and Abled program was to be expanded Nationwide in memory of the work of the incredible dog who had saved her life and created a program that would touch many lives.

Imagine losing the ability to think. Imagine that you need to manually control your body each and everyday, and some days, the command center refuses to help out. This is what it is like living with brain injury. This is what everyday life is like for single Mom, Kimberly Carnevale. Despite those challenges, Kimberly must utilize the gifts she still has to earn a living to support herself and her little girl. This is her story. This is her campaign, and this is her mission to help others through the lessons she's learned.

Kimberly Carnevale has faced challenges that most couldn't even begin to imagine. From recovering accident survivor, to advocate, to becoming a single, disabled Mom, to becoming homeless, all the while, striving to continue the commitment she made to Dewey; and finally finding her way back to success.

Her athlete training and never-give-up determination continue to drive her, yet her definition of success is different these days. "It's not about money or fame, or about the things you have," Carnevale says. "I've been on both ends of the financial spectrum, and I can tell you with 100% certainty, that at the end of the day, when you can think back on what you've accomplished, success should be measured by making a child smile, or lifting a friend's spirit, providing hope to the hopeless and sharing with others the love in our heart...it is then that we discover that by giving to others, we are actually giving a gift to ourselves... That, is success."

When asked what drives this former athlete to continue her motivational programs these days, despite incredible personal hardships and the difficulties of maintaining a nonprofit organization in tough economical times, Carnevale explains, "After my accident, I didn't think I could make it in a world that didn't accommodate me," Kimberly says. "But then Dewey showed me there was a way that I could acclimate to the world. His quiet, unending support gave me the courage to go back out into a world that terrified me; and his devotion to me made me want to succeed---for him. I wanted to somehow thank him for all that he'd done for me, and dedicating my work with Canine and Abled to him was the best way I could think of doing that. Especially now that he's gone, I want to continue to honor his memory through continuing our mission...no matter what... It feels as though as long as the program continues, his spirit lives on through all the doors we're opening. That promise I made to him keeps me going when all my circumstances tell me I should quit and give in to seemingly insurmountable challenges. In my weak moments when I even entertain the idea of quitting, I think about Dewey; and I know I just can't let him down. The love I have for him is bigger than my circumstances, and it keeps me going. In a way, he's still taking care of me."

In 2005, Gracie, (funny-little-fur-person mascot and resident therapy dog) joined the C&A family. And in August of 2006, a beautiful black German shepherd puppy (Nadja) came on board to begin the two year training period as Dawson's protege. The three Canine and Abled dogs continued to open doors in Dewey's memory....until tragedy struck again.

In October of 2006, Kimberly faced perhaps the biggest hurdle of her life, when she, her daughter (then three), and her service dogs became homeless due to a brutal attack and subsequent abuse from an alcoholic family member. Kimberly's beloved program stalled in the wake of her homelessness and it seemed that she wouldn't be able to keep her promise to Dewey after all.

Driven by her faith, athlete mentality, and Dewey's promise; Kimberly adopted a positive and faithful attitude despite her dire situation, and created new speaking opportunities through her new set of challenges. She got to work right away, writing about her trials; applying her old strategies and implementing new ones in order to present them to audiences on stage (for Kimberly's motivational articles, click HERE). To see her on stage, using her personal tragedies as positive teaching tools, giving her heart to her audiences is positively inspirational.

"The attack and homelessness----I thought they were the worst things that could ever happen to me..." Carnevale states, "But they ended up being a blessing. It was through this challenge that God brought amazing (speaking/educating) opportunities into my life.

It just goes to show that there really is a silver lining in every storm! ...If only we stay calm in the storms of life and look for the lessons. God and Dewey taught me that...and I hope that I'm making them proud utilizing those lessons today."

Today, Kimberly shares with her audiences her inspirational message of hope and fostering a never-give-up attitude. Through her tale, she teaches how to use the challenges in our lives to make us stronger. Her story is a miracle in the making; and hearing her tell it is magical.

So where do they go from here? Kimberly chuckles a little. She looks up for a moment and with tears shining in her smiling eyes, she replies, "I have trusted God and Dewey to lead me from the very start of this journey. I had been so lost, and God sent me this wonderful four-footed angel. Dewey made the perfect co-pilot." She twists a white bandanna that Dewey wore often as she takes a ragged breath and continues, "It was Dewey that found the real me... and it was with his guidance that I was able to embark upon a dream that is nothing short of a miracle. He may not be here in body, but his spirit lives on forever in this program he's created. Where do we go from here? Well, I'm going to do what I've done from the start...I'm handing over the map to my co-pilot; I'm going to trust him to continue to lead me where I'm meant to be...after all, he's done a fantastic job up to this point, and he's got a much better view from where he is now."

Because of her traumatic brain injury, Kimberly suffered from severe cognitive dysfunction (problems with thinking ability). This dysfunction made the "outside" world extremely overwhelming and difficult to process. This difficulty caused severe, debilitating anxiety.

Coupled with the traumatic effects of the car accident, and a subsequent brutal attack from an alcoholic family member (which caused her homelessness), Kimberly's PTSD held her prisoner in many ways.

She gained a sense of well-being through equine therapy with a very special, gentle horse named, Maverick. Just being near him, and brushing him helped to ease the tremendous anxiety that enveloped her every day life. The more time she spent with him, the better she was able to handle day to day life.

An instructor at the stable where Maverick was stabled, had a special mounting block made, and helped to get Kimberly "back in the saddle" again for hippotherapy, and with a new zeal for God's word, Kimberly began to forge a way to recovery and mastery of a new way of life.

It's been over a decade since Kimberly was forced to leave the horse business that she loved. She dreamed of one day returning, but it seemed like an impossibility because of her disabilities. She still (and always will) struggle with cognitive impairment and other daily challenges of traumatic brain injury and MS. Still she prayed. She asked God to lead her to the state of Tennessee (where she'd dreamed for years of living), and back to the horses who have always been her best teachers, healers, and friends.

And so at last, God laid it upon Kimberly to share her story, and utilize it to show others how she deals with the devastating effects of depression, cognitive impairment and PTSD; and to share the biblical principles that ultimately helped her heal in order to create the Equine Ability Program.

In order to create the program of her dreams, Kimberly needed to leave all that she knew behind and take an opportunity for land use in Tennessee. She used an inheritance to purchase "The Butterfly Express," an RV that would serve as their hotel, and living quarters upon arrival in TN. Kimberly wanted to do more than merely drive to Tennessee, however. She says, "I thought about all the thousands of people we would pass on the highway on our way to TN, and saw it as a great opportunity to raise awareness." In October, Kimberly, her daughter and service dogs embarked on a road trip to help promote awareness/prevention of brain injury and would lead them to their new home in Tennessee. Prior to their leaving, Kimberly and her daughter collected survivor's names and assigned each one a green butterfly to signify their presence in her awareness tour. She wanted to "take everyone along" with her on her trip of a lifetime---a trip that she had to relearn everything in order to be able to do; only a few short years ago. To say this trip was a tremendous undertaking for this brain injury survivor, is a gross understatement.

Undaunted by the challenges that lie ahead, Kimberly lettered her vehicle to raise questions and spark conversations, and handed out informational brochures to interested passerby all along their trip route--excited by the future plans that lie ahead of them. (Kimberly's journey has been memorialized in her travel blog, and you can read all about it from day one here: www.CanineAndAbledgoRVing.blogspot.com. The journey is continuing, so come join us!)

Unfortunately, all the promised plans for living in the Butterfly Express and land use fell through upon Kimberly's arrival to TN. Upon the realization that she'd left everything she knew behind, had no way to return and knew no one in her new home state, Kimberly utilized the skills that have served her time and time again to overcome adversity.

She has since rented an apartment (officially overcoming 4 1/2 years of homelessness), and is working on alternative locations for the Equine Ability Program for the future. While the location of this particular program still remains uncertain, Kimberly's determination does not. She fully plans to offer the brand new, Equine Ability Program for patients with PTSD, depression, cognitive impairment and other emotional disorders, in her new home of TN.

She is currently offering all of the award-winning canine programs through C&A's sister program Canine Ability LTD (Living The Dream). Canine Ability offers all of the award-winning motivation in programs that feature dog bite prevention, responsible dog ownership, anti-drug, anti-bullying education and more. She is also offering in-home dog training in the middle Tennessee area.