Title: Chancer
Description: Donnie Kanter Winokur and her husband, Harvey, never could have imagined the heart-wrenching struggle that becomes their new reality after they decide to adopt two infants from Russia. As Iyal and Morasha grow, it becomes clear that Iyal's development is drastically lagging behind his sister's. By age four, he has a devastating diagnosis: fetal alcohol syndrome. But naming their battle provides little relief as Iyal and his family try to cope with the lifelong impact of his invisible disability. As the Winokurs' marriage is unraveling, Donnie and Harvey hang on to the last shreds of their own promise. Desperate to alleviate his constant rages and their crushing toll on the family, Donnie comes up with an innovative, untested, four-pawed solution: a golden retriever service dog. The dog is specially trained to give Iyal a unique love he desperately needs, turns out to be what the entire family has needed to stay, and grow, together.
Subjects: Service dogs, Human-animal relationships, Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, Animals as aids for people with disabilities, Fetal alcohol syndrome