When 2-year-old Hunter Standridge shares a Goldfish cracker with his beloved dog, Daisy, all is right with the world.
From appearances, this quintessential family interaction is perfectly normal, and Hunter's older sisters Lilly-Anna and Madeline often join their brother in snuggling the beautifully patient black and white Border Collie pup.
But what isn't immediately evident is the deeply unique bond the three children share with Daisy: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
The extremely rare syndrome causes a lack of collagen in the body, resulting in an endless array of medical problems, from skin that will not heal when wounded to arthritis, gastrointestinal problems and other organ issues.
For both the kids and Daisy, this means limited activity and exercising extreme caution at all times. Running can do serious damage - not something that a toddler readily understands.
"Even at their young ages, I can see how EDS is taking its toll on their lives," says their mother, Meagan Standridge. She too has the disorder, which she wasn't diagnosed with until she was 18. "Lilly's arches have started falling in her feet, causing her a lot of pain. She has to get specially fitted orthodics every year for the rest of her life."
Standridge first heard about her family's four-legged rescue from a Facebook post by the Pet Placement Center requesting a permanent foster for Daisy, whom they called their "Rubber Puppy," because of her own lack of collagen and the problems it caused. And, although they were not asking anyone to adopt Daisy and take on her extensive list of medical needs financially, they were asking for a "furever foster" to open their home to her.
From the moment Standridge read the post, she knew her home was the place for Daisy.
"I just felt like I had to be there for her," she says. "My eldest daughter was so touched by her story that she cried and said, 'Momma I feel so connected to her.'"
Two days after arriving at her new home, Daisy got her first cut. She developed spots that wouldn't heal, and is a regular at the vet's office.
She requires specialty food, daily tablets for joint pain and powder for dermal support. She takes vitamin D drops and drinks aloe vera juice. And while the Standridge family provides her with the love and support she deserves, PPC covers the vet costs from her inevitable injuries.
"Yes, she can be hurt from almost anything, even while she sleeps in her kennel at night. But she is so smart, so vibrant," Standridge says. "She loves to run and I do let her run around the yard with the kids - some. She inevitably ends up with a wound.
"For someone without this condition it may seem simple to just say, 'OK puppy, you have to spend your entire life on a couch or in a kennel.' But I know what it feels like to have doctors tell you that you can't do those things."
Those interested in donating to help Daisy and Pet Placement Center's other pets in need can visit petplacementcenter.com/sponsor.html.
Email Gabrielle Chevalier at gchevalier@timesfreepress.com