Brooklyn's right at home in Worth

A beautiful 17-month-old white Labrador and Golden Retriever mix puppy named Brooklyn sat by the entrance of the Kocourek home in Worth.

"Sorry you can't pet her. She's working, " said Joanne Kocourek, welcoming this writer into her home.

Unlike most dogs, Brooklyn spends 24 hours a day caring for her trainer and friend, 13-year-old Kristen Kocourek, Joanne's adopted daughter.

Kristen was diagnosed in 1992 with a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome, or CCHS.

Daily functioning for Kristen is difficult: She has to constantly remind herself to breathe.

Joanne, a registered nurse and manager of clinical research for the University of Chicago Radiology Department, along with a variety of doctors and nurses, have spent many hours monitoring Kristen's breathing.

She sleeps in an iron lung which keeps her breathing throughout the night.

Although Joanne says the human assistance and attention Kristen receives is irreplaceable, the emotional and physical exhaustion can wear down even the strongest caretaker.

Plus, Kristen, a teenager, needs a bit of independence.

"We needed for Kristen to have some freedom," Joanne said.

Enter Brooklyn the dog, born and raised under the guidance of the East Coast Assistance Dogs, Inc., an organization that trains dogs for disabled individuals.

With the help of the Webster Foundation's donation of $6,000, Kristen was able to receive an assistance dog and soon discovered that Brooklyn would be worth every penny.

Last November, Kristen and Joanne took a trip to New York to meet their assistance-dog-to-be.

East Coast matched Kristen with other dogs, including Brooklyn's brother Jasper. They found Brooklyn to be the best fit for Kristen's needs, said co-owner Dale Picard.

The trio then had to undergo rigorous training for two weeks which included classroom instruction, quizzes and even a final exam. Joanne also learned the commands because her daughter is under 18. But Kristen was fully responsible for Brooklyn all day.

By the end of the training, Kristen knew how to load and unload Brooklyn from a vehicle, handle her in malls, instruct her to open and close doors and make sure Brooklyn could handle the flight back from New York to Chicago.

Both Kristen and Joanne's well-being has greatly improved since Brooklyn entered their lives, they say.

"If we hear Brooklyn bark, we know Kristen needs help," Joanne said.

For example, if the alarm on her iron lung sounds, Brooklyn knows she has to inform either Joanne or the nurse on duty to take care of the problem.

Also, in an emergency situation, Brooklyn can help contact an ambulance.

"Brooklyn can retrieve a phone for the nurse in the house who has no free hands," Joanne said.

In the past, during long road trips, Joanne had to watch Kristen constantly to make sure she did not doze off in the back seat.

Now, Brooklyn will lick the teenager's hand until she is alert again while Joanne can concentrate on driving.

Even shopping is easier and more enjoyable. If Kristen wants to look in the junior's section for clothing while Joanne desires to shop for winter coats, they no longer worry about Kristen's safety.

If Joanne hears Brooklyn barking, she knows her daughter needs help.

Brooklyn can also turn lights on and off, summon elevators, pull Kristen's wheelchair, open doors with a tug toy, load and unload a washer and dryer, carry bags around his neck at stores, get food out of a refrigerator if it's in a baggie and retrieve most items for Kristen.

"When I take her to youth group, she helps me pick up things and helps me down the stairs," Kristen said. "All the kids at youth group want to pet her."

And Brooklyn can learn more commands if Kristen's needs change.

Kristen's ability to hear is slowly decreasing. Therefore, through home training, the family will be adding a new hearing alert into Brooklyn's memory. She will be trained to lick Kristen's hand to alert her if the phone is ringing or if someone is calling her from another room.

Teaching a dog new commands requires much patience and an understanding of the animal's likes and dislikes. Brooklyn responds best to her squeaky porcupine toy.

Joanne and Kristen used this toy to teach Brooklyn the identity of Kristen's father, Tom Kocourek.

Brooklyn has not only physically helped Kristen, but mentally as well.

"We can't measure what it's done for Kristen's self-esteem," Joanne said.

"She is no longer the kid who is teased. She's this kid with this neat dog."

Kristen even seems to look forward to the future with dreams and goals of her own.

"When I grow up, I want to either be a photographer or a writer," she said.

Although Brooklyn has been a huge help in the Kocourek family, other assistance is still needed. Brooklyn can sense what people can't, but she is an adjunct rather than a replacement for traditional health care. Brooklyn can't give Kristen her medication or oxygen "but she can be that extra set of paws you need," Joanne said.

Taking care of Brooklyn is no easy task. Since Kristen's life relies on Brooklyn's health, part of the canine's training includes self-care.

For example, Brooklyn has been trained to avoid illness by not eating food off any floor, including at restaurants. This keeps her body healthy so she can react quickly.

All dogs that come from East Coast are health certified, Joanne said, and the training they receive helps them remain that way.

They are also trained to be very obedient dogs and the Kocourek's have had little problems with Brooklyn despite her young age.

Brooklyn even knows that "go to bed" is signified by any cloth on the floor. If you point to the cloth, that's bed for Brooklyn.

"Generally speaking, she has been pretty good." Joanne said.

Another of Joanne's adoptive daughters and Kristen's biological sister, Annalies, 17, may also be looking into receiving a dog from East Coast

Her mother says she is not ready for one yet, she may be in the future. Annalies would need a different dog since she has different needs than Kristen. Her health problem, mitochondrial disease, involves a malfunction in the mitochondria in cells that results in dysfunction in the body.

Whether or not another assistance dog will appear in the Kocourek family is questionable but not entirely unlikely.

Overall, Brooklyn has been a big help to Joanne and anyone involved in Kristen's health care. Kristen now has a trusted companion and guardian angel.

"She's really helps me and probably saved my life," Kristen said. "She's like my best friend."

Those interested in learning more about East Coast Assistance Dogs, Inc. may visit its Web site at www.ecad1.org.