Declan and Barney's story

16-year-old Declan has gone through more in the past ten years than most people go through in a lifetime. Aged six, he lost his sight through a rare reaction to medication which caused burns to 96% of his body, including his eyes. But every day Declan shows great resilience and, with his buddy dog Barney by his side, he has continued to grow in confidence, and the family home is filled with laughter.

“In March 2015, Declan had tonsillitis and was prescribed antibiotics to help fight the infection. We didn’t really give it any more thought,” says Ashleigh, Declan’s mum.

“Then three weeks later he woke up crying in pain and covered with a rash. Our initial thought was he had meningitis, so we called an ambulance.” 

Declan adds; “I don’t remember much about the time when I got ill, just the morning I was taken to hospital. The paramedics arrived and said my rash looked like chicken pox but somehow, I just knew it wasn’t. But I didn’t know what it was.”

Within 24 hours Declan, aged six, was diagnosed with a severe version of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome – a very rare but serious reaction which caused his skin to peel. It was triggered by the antibiotics he’d taken weeks earlier, causing an autoimmune disease called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TENS). Declan lost skin on 96% of his body, as he was burned from the inside out.  

“It was terrifying. There’s no cure so Declan was put in an induced coma and there were so many worrying points where things seemed to deteriorate,” says Ashleigh.

Declan spent seven weeks in two different hospitals. It attacked his eyes causing huge damage, the aftereffects of which continue today.

“Declan is now completely blind in his left eye with light perception and very limited vision in his right eye. He’s spent much of his childhood in hospital, with multiple infections, cataracts, detached retina, glaucoma and cornea transplants. He’s had so many operations I’ve lost count. But Declan is so resilient, and I am so proud of him for that.”

Declan continues; “I don’t really spend too much time thinking about my time in hospital, or my sight loss. My attitude is just ‘it is what it is, and nothing can change that’, so there’s no point getting upset about it. I get on with it and do what I can do.”

Reaching out to Guide Dogs

“We first heard about buddy dogs quite early on after Declan got sick. The boys (Declan and his younger brother Oliver) love dogs and we thought a buddy dog would be a great friend for Declan. We also hoped that a buddy dog would be a good way to give him some responsibility.”

“We went to a face-to-face meeting at Guide Dogs, and Barney – a golden retriever cross Labrador - was actually one of the dogs we met. We just fell in love with him. It was like love at first sight and we all felt an instant connection.”

Declan adds; “I’ve always loved dogs and when I met Barney, he was so playful. I was drawn to him straight away.”

Ashleigh continues; “We asked Declan at the end of the session ‘what’s your ideal dog?’ and he pointed at Barney. Staff told us Barney wasn’t ready for a match yet. Then a few days later I got an email from Guide Dogs asking, ‘How much did you like Barney?’ and I just burst into tears because I knew we were going to get him.”

“My life, our lives, changed for the better the day Barney joined our family. He’s such a happy, loving boy and I thank Guide Dogs every day for bringing him into our home.”

Life with Barney

Ashleigh says; “Barney brings the family together. He hasn’t just changed Declan’s life; he’s changed all our lives. He has us laughing every single day. I think of him as my third boy – a hairy third child.”

“Barney is a friend for Declan. They cuddle each other and play together. Barney will go into Declan’s room at bedtime and lie down, it’s almost like he’s checking he’s in bed, he’s ok and is settled.” 

Declan continues; “It’s really nice having Barney in the house. When I come back from school, he’s always there waiting for me to play with him. He’ll often come up to the door carrying a sock or something out of the washing basket – but that’s probably the retriever in him!”

“But he’s also really cuddly – he seems to know when I’m feeling unwell, or when I’ve had an operation and need to stay quieter. He’ll be calmer and just be happy lying next to me or on my lap.”

“At weekends I’m normally the first person up, so I’ll feed Barney and then we go for walks together as a family.”

Mum Ashleigh adds; “I’ve definitely seen a change in Declan since Barney arrived. He wants to go out more than he did before. Barney gets us together as a family for walks, getting us out on adventures and we’re actually exploring the area we live in.”

“Declan has also grown in confidence since we got Barney. He will go to the shops on his own now and I think a huge part of that is down to Barney. I feel so proud of Declan, seeing the way he gets around with such confidence and determination.”

With his newfound confidence, and having Barney by his side, football-mad Declan has learnt to play blind football and has also learnt to play the piano. And this September Declan is starting his A-levels, having achieved all the GCSE grades he needs despite having almost 50% of time off school due to hospital stays.

Declan adds; “After my A-levels, I want to do an apprenticeship in accounting. I’m pretty good with numbers and I would like a career as an accountant.”

Mum, Ashleigh, says, “I am so proud of Declan. He just gets on with life, he’s going out more, going to the shops on his own or getting the train by himself. Despite everything he’s been through and continues to go through, he’s such a happy child.”

“Having a child with sight loss can be quite devastating, and for us because Declan’s sight loss was very sudden it was traumatic. But now Barney has come into our home, our days are filled with laughter and joy again. It just feels like Barney was always supposed to be part of our family.”