"I'm blessed." Imagine those words coming out of the mouth of a young woman who had her whole life ahead of her, but after a sudden freak accident, now faces more obstacles than you or I could ever grasp. Meet Natalie Barnhard, a 27 year old woman that is smart, articulate and motivated. This is the story about how her world, in one split second, turned upside down, and how her Labrador Retriever, Gabe, helps her keep it all together.

On October 22, 2004, Barnhard, a physical therapist, was at work at a physical therapy center in Buffalo, NY. For reasons unknown, a 500 lb. weight machine fell on her causing her to hit the back of her neck on a nearby table at the C5 and C6 vertebrae. The C5 vertebrae pushed into her spinal cord turning her into a quadriplegic. Today, life is a much bigger challenge for her. “It’s hard not being able to be on my own, always needing people to help,” says Barnhard. “What I miss most is simply ‘life’.

Barnhard studied Physical Therapy at Villa Maria College in Buffalo, NY and massage at Trocaire College, also in Buffalo. She became a licensed massage therapist three weeks before her accident. Now she no longer has control of her hands which forces her to give up on her goal to do massage.

Barnhard has always been an active person. She participated in kickboxing classes, yoga, mountain biking and camping. Now bound to her wheelchair, she relies on Gabe to help her get through her days. She got Gabe from Canine Helpers in Lockport, NY shortly before Christmas 2006. He is an amazing dog who is trained to do a variety of tasks like open doors, get her wallet out of her purse, take off her sweatshirt, and get help when needed by pawing at people to get their attention.

Most importantly, Gabe is a friend. “He’s a companion who is always there, always making sure I’m ok. That’s the best thing, just having a friend,” says Barnhard. He’s a gentle dog, but Natalie knows he would really protect her if necessary. She never thought about having a service dog until she went to Atlanta where she met some people who had dogs. When she returned to Buffalo, she did some research to see if having a dog would help her situation. She found Canine Helpers. Natalie explains that once you get a dog, you’re with the organization for life, which means, if necessary someone from the company will visit your house and do more training.

Natalie Barnhard: The way the program works is that after you get the dog, you go to the organization for several months to train the dog. Then once you’re done someone from the organization comes to your house to familiarize the dog with his or her new surroundings.

Right now Barnhard is never really alone. However there will come a time when she’ll start driving and be on her own and Gabe will be even more useful to her. So it’s important for him to be trained to help her in numerous ways.

Despite her disability, Natalie says, “It’s amazing what I have been able to do.” She can use the computer, read, talk on the phone, and type using her pinky. Barnhard has become much more mobile than she was shortly after the accident. Her success is attributed to hard work and determination. Everyday there are new gains because she sets goals to achieve. There are still days when she gets upset, though.

Barnhard is a proclaimed fighter and she’s not about to give up. She’s met many people who have gone through similar life changing experiences and now live normal lives. They are completely independent with apartments and families.

Natalie is not self-pitying. She doesn’t waste her time feeling sorry for herself or asking questions like “Why me?” She’s got a great attitude, full of hope, and she’s always looking forward, never backward. “It’s so easy for people to want to give up,” Natalie says. But she has no intention of doing so. “What you do now determines your future,” proclaims Natalie. She makes sure to work hard so that things will be easier in the long run. Eventually she would like to move out of her parents’ house, be independent and really put Gabe to the test.

So why does she consider herself blessed? She knows that had she hit her neck in any other spot, she would be completely paralyzed and on a ventilator permanently. Her injury hasn’t put her goals on hold either. In the future, she would like to open up a holistic center focused on alternative modes of therapy. She is back in school now for psychology and she is taking classes online through Drexel University. “It’s nice to be doing something,” said Barnhard. “I was bored, I wasn’t working, I was home all the time. I wasn’t doing anything.” Once she gets her bachelors degree in psychology, she hopes to get a masters in social work. So don’t for a minute find yourself feeling sorry for Natalie. Talking to her, hearing her speak about her goals, you know this girl is going to have a bright future full of many opportunities. “I’ve only just begun in my opinion,” she informs me.

And where, you may ask, does Natalie’s inspiration to keep fighting come from? “My faith definitely has a lot to do with it…that definitely keeps me going,” she says. “I really believe that I am going through this for a reason.” Maybe the reason is so that she can give Gabe a good home and he in turn can serve a purpose for her—that is, to be an aide, a companion, and a life partner. And she can prove to others that, with the right attitude, anything is possible. “You take a lot less things for granted because you realize how precious life is—how in one second so much can change.” Well that certainly is true, and Natalie is the perfect example.

What we learn from our dog?

N.B.: Dogs possess intelligence. They can sense and have an instinctual awareness when someone needs help. I realize how much training is involved to make Gabe compatible with my needs. He encourages and inspires me. Gabe teaches me that I can gain the strength and the independence that I desire. He’s my role model.

Read more about Natalie: http://www.caninehelpers.netfirms.com/testim/gabor.html