A Tampa teenager has a new lease on life thanks to a local radio DJ and the Gwinnett County Jail dog program. On Friday, the teen drove to the Atlanta area from Tampa to meet her new best friend.
Lorna Steff, 17, has a serious nervous system disorder and needs a service dog to help her in her daily life.
"I have RSD. It's a chronic pain disease that misfires pain signals, so at any random time, I get stabbing, stinging burning pain anywhere in my body," said Steff.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy means that oftentimes, Lorna isn't strong enough even to hold herself up.
Steff met Atlanta online radio host Blake "Top Dogg" Rashad at a pet expo in Tampa. She asked Rashad and his team for help.
"I really didn't think they were going to be able to find a good one, but, you can't ever doubt them," said Lorna.
On a scouting mission at the Gwinnett Jail Dog Program, Rashad and his team spotted King, a great Pyrenees who was scheduled to be put down if he didn't find a home soon.
"He's going to be a therapy dog that's going to help with balance. Lorna has black outs, not the type that makes her drop to the ground, but the type that makes her sight leave her," said Rashad.
Lorna says she's always wanted to be a model. Now, with her newfound confidence, she hopes that she can strut her stuff with her newfound friend.
"I want to get him on the runway. I think that'll be cool to be the first model to have her own service dog on the runway," said Lorna.
Before they can walk down that runway, it'll take Lorna and King quite a bit of time to bond and get to know each other. She says having Rashad in her corner has renewed her faith in the kindness of strangers.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 6:22 PM EDT2013-06-18 22:22:48 GMT
Defense attorneys want the governor's report on Atlanta Public Schools cheating thrown out. They say educators were threatened to cooperate with investigators or lose their jobs.
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A former Atlanta police officer has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after prosecutors say he conspired to accept bribes and lied to FBI agents.
A former Atlanta police officer has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after prosecutors say he conspired to accept bribes and lied to FBI agents.
Lorna Steff met her new service dog on July 13, 2012.
