Piper is a service dog who’s been by Cienna Ditri’s side every single day through all her ups and downs of her medical and personal journey. But up until this moment, Piper had never seen his mom walk. This past summer that changed.
“Cienna has been a non-ambulatory wheelchair user for the past two years, and an ambulatory wheelchair user before then – until most recently when she received a new medication which has allowed her to be able to learn how to walk again,” the video description reads.
“This video, taken at Cienna’s home in Michigan, shows Piper seeing Cienna walk for the first time in years,” the video description continues. “Piper is so excited to see Cienna upright and taking her first few steps, he can hardly contain his joy!”
Trained as a medical alert and mobility service dog, Piper doesn’t get too rambunctious though! He makes sure to cautiously jump up to his hind legs to showcase his elation but stays out of the way of Cienna’s crutches.
Shortly after this video, Piper and Cienna took their first walk together and they chose a sunflower field. “We were both entranced with their strength and beauty,” Cienna wrote on Instagram.
“Piper has never really walked alongside forearm crutches before, so I’m very proud of how he always adapts to my ever changing dynamic disability,” she added.
Cienna regularly shares videos of her experiences with a service dog. She didn’t always have one. But after a previous pet dog saved her from drowning, her doctor recommended she get a service dog. She shared in an Instagram post that she passed out in the shower and accidentally closed the drain when she hit the floor. “The bathtub filled up with water while I was unconscious, but my pet dog tried to raise my face out of the water saving my life. I still got a concussion and water in my lungs, but I was alive. That day my primary care doctor suggested I get a service dog that could alert me before I passed out. When I got a service dog, everything changed.”
She had a service dog before Piper, but she’s had Piper for 5 years now and she adds that thanks to her service dogs she hasn’t ever passed out in the shower again. Of her service dogs she says, “They give me independence, safety, save my life, and have been my best friends.”
Cienna gave an interview a few years ago where she goes into further detail about how service dogs have changed her life.
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links.