Special Needs Dachshund Helps Children See Their Challenges in a Positive Way via Skype Visits

Award-winning author Barbara Techel and her 12-year old wheelie sidekick, Frankie, known as the "walk ‘n roll dog" have shared their inspiring story with thousands of children since 2007 about how Frankie suffered a spinal injury, was custom-fitted for a wheelchair, persevered, and became a certified therapy dog. They have done over 300 visits in their home state of Wisconsin to schools, libraries, and organizations, and with the help of technology they are able to reach classrooms across the US via Skype. Many classrooms from Pennsylvania, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio, to name just a few, have benefited from Frankie’s uplifting and inspiring message to “Be positive, make a difference, and keep on rolling!”

Barbara’s popular Skype presentation covers how Frankie could walk like a regular dog for six years, how she hurt her back and then learned how to walk in a doggie wheelchair. She shares a PowerPoint of fun and sweet photos of Frankie before and after her injury, which often brings many giggles from her young audiences. The favorite part of the presentation is when a video is shown of how fast Frankie can cruise in her wheels. Children are often heard saying, “Wow! Frankie is really fast!”

It is often quite expensive to bring in an author from another state, so having the option of Skype is a much more affordable way for students to connect with authors and their inspiring stories. Techel says, “Traveling with Frankie is not something I wish to do in concern for her health and stress level, so being able to connect with children via Skype and sharing her story of hope with them in this manner is so rewarding.” It truly is a win-win for schools and authors, but most importantly, the students benefit from Frankie’s positive message.

Barbara has received praise from many teachers for her presentation such as Tracey Joyce, LS Media Specialist of Convent of the Visitation School in Medota Heights, MN. Joyce said, “Excellent visit with Barbara and Frankie! We really enjoyed our Skype session with Frankie and Barbara. Barbara did an excellent job of keeping the kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms engaged for over 30 minutes - not an easy thing to do. The students loved seeing Frankie and learning all about how she overcame the odds. In addition, they loved their signed books from Frankie and Barbara which promptly arrived after we ordered them. I’d highly recommend this session!”

We all face challenges in life, but when we choose to be positive despite obstacles we find that our challenges can often times lead to some of the most pivotal learning opportunities. Frankie taught her owner, Barbara just that, which inspired Barbara to write Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog book series. Now Barbara finds great joy in helping others benefit from Frankie’s amazing attitude and valuable life lessons.

To learn more about how you can bring Barbara and Frankie into your school via Skype, visit Barbara’s website, www.joyfulpaws.com and click on page for teachers. There you will find a free eBook you can download to help you plan a Skype visit with them.