What if you needed something every single day but had to wait three years or longer to get it?

That's exactly what Spinal Muscular Atrophy Advocate, Shailynn Taylor, had to do as she patiently hoped all the pieces would fall into place so she could obtain a service dog. Taylor grew up in Moose Jaw but moved to Calgary shortly

after graduation to pursue post-secondary education. 

Thanks to her hometown community once again coming to her rescue, she now has her service dog Atrej at home with her and continuing training. But it wasn't as simple as it sounds. Taylor spent years researching and applying to various organizations hoping that she could have a companion one day. During her journey she discovered Aspen Service Dogs and it seem like a perfect match between her and a 2-year-old yellow English lab. It was soon after she fell in love with the four-legged friend that she was told she would need to put $5,000 down for a deposit. 

This was at a very inconvenient time, as Taylor's friends, family and community had just pulled together in various ways for months to purchase life saving treatment at a very high cost. 

"I had posted on Facebook that although I had talked about getting him I was no longer going to be doing it as it was just too much money for our family right now, and I would definitely go through the process again once I had a job and was able to afford him better." Taylor explained. "That was when the Logan family in Moose Jaw reached out to me and offered to pay the deposit for him to make it possible for me. It was in that moment that it really set in that not only was I going to get him, but I had an incredible family and community behind me making it possible for me to get him. Atrej's name now is officially Atrej Logan Taylor."

The Logan family continued to go above and beyond for not only Taylor but for the organizing committee who was raising funds for treatment, which is something that continues to blow the young advocate away.

She noted that it's hard to put into words the amount of stress that would accumulate living in a city away from her parents as she pushed towards her degree and being eight hours away while attempting to complete everyday tasks.

"The anxiety I would have going out of the house alone and knowing that if I dropped something or I needed something, I would be waiting for the next stranger to pass by and hoping they would help me. The peace of mind in knowing that he's beside me all the time to help me with whatever I need is just so freeing for me, and I really think I'll be able to become even more independent knowing he's beside me."

Now, most of those worries are behind her. Atrej can re-position Taylor's legs to keep her healthy and take off her jacket or socks if she's needing assistance, but most importantly has brought an indescribable amount of joy to her life. 

The pair finished training in Edmonton last week and have now returned home to continue to discover ways they were meant to be matched.