My son was struggling to make friends until some unlikely mates came into his life. By Nicola Rodriguez, 48
I tapped on my son’s bedroom door and opened it a crack.
‘Dinner’s almost ready, love,’ I said.
‘Mum, did you know iguanas can live for over 20 years?’ Harry said, fixated
on his computer screen. ‘And they can run up to 25 miles per hour.’
‘Is that so?’ I replied.
Harry, 14, adored animals and it had become something of an obsession.
Life hadn’t always been easy for Harry.
Diagnosed with autism as a toddler, he was non-verbal until the age of five and wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone.
Every time there was a loud noise he’d have a meltdown.
Otherwise, he was good
as gold.
Harry tried to make friends, but he found it difficult to connect with other kids so, instead of kicking a football round with mates after school, he’d race to his room and spend hours looking up animal facts online.
‘He’s a bright boy,’ his teachers said. ‘But he struggles socially.’
My heart ached for my gentle boy.
How would he ever find his place in the world when he had such a huge obstacle to overcome?
One day, Harry was watching TV when Alan Titchmarsh popped up on the screen, driving a horse and cart.
Harry’s face lit up.
‘Would you like to ride a horse?’ I asked him.
‘Yes!’ he shrieked.
Later that week, I took him to a stable near our home in Ongar, Essex where he met a horse called Alfie.
Approaching him carefully, Harry held out a hand to give Alfie a pat.
As Alfie nuzzled in, the bond was instant.
Harry rode Alfie regularly, groomed him and helped to muck out the stables.
The stable owner, James, saw how tender Harry was with Alfie so, when his dachshund had a litter of puppies, he offered one
to Harry.
'Do you like lizards, Harry?'
We called him Roddy, and he followed Harry everywhere.
He became his safety valve and unofficial therapy dog, accompanying him everywhere
from the barbers to the shops.
In time, I also got Harry a bearded dragon, Missy.
Knowing about Harry’s special bond with animals, one of my friends made
a suggestion.
‘Have you heard about Living Things?’ she asked. ‘They rescue and rehome animals. They’re always looking for volunteers.’
The next weekend, Harry and I went to meet the owner, Tasha. She couldn’t have been more welcoming.
‘Do you like lizards, Harry?’ Tasha asked.
‘Yes,’ Harry said.
‘Then you’ll love Tuco,’
she said.
She wasn’t wrong. When Harry met the iguana, it was love at first sight.
I wasn’t a fan of reptiles, but Harry was beside himself with excitement and, over the next few weeks, he spent loads of time with Tuco, feeding him and stroking him.
To my amazement, Tuco even crawled on to Harry’s shoulder for a cuddle.
‘Iguanas are normally grumpy,’ Tasha said. ‘Harry clearly has a magic touch.’
In time, Tuco grew into
a very sociable lizard, wandering around the office and climbing up people’s legs.
Determined to overcome my fear of reptiles, I worked with Harry and Tasha until I was comfortable enough to handle them.
Harry loved all the animals at Living Things, from fluffy alpacas to slithery snakes.
At Christmas, Tasha had a surprise for Harry.
‘We’re rehoming tarantulas,’ she said. ‘I thought you might like this one.’
To say Harry was over the moon was an understatement.
I was less than thrilled.
‘Oh my God, it’s going to be in my house,’ I gasped.
‘Don’t worry,’ Tasha told
me. ‘We’ll keep her here until you feel comfortable.’
As well as rescuing exotic creatures, Living Things also gave animal presentations in schools and worked birthday parties.
Soon, Harry and I started presenting too and we called ourselves Harry Dundee and Dolly Dolittle, after Crocodile Dundee and Dr Dolittle.
Watching Harry present to large groups of people, my heart swelled with pride.
Spending time with animals had clearly transformed him and he was brimming with confidence.
At school, he became known as the animal boy and everyone wanted to be his friend.
His grades went through the roof too.
Harry’s planning to do an animal science degree when he leaves school.
He wants to be the next Sir David Attenborough, travelling everywhere and presenting exotic animals to the world.
When he turns 18, he’ll be able to get a paid job at Living Things too. The impact animals have on people with autism is remarkable, improving social skills and easing stress and anxiety.
In Harry’s case, animals have also given him a future career to look forward to.
All I ever wanted was for Harry to thrive and be happy. Living Things has given him that and more.