A 16-year-old teen named Shane Koch from Florida was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome when he was only eight years old. Tourette’s is a disease in the nervous system characterized by uncontrolled movements or sounds, commonly called tics. Sadly, these tics became the reason why Koch experienced bullying from his classmates and even his teachers.
But when Koch adopted an adorable puppy named Callum, his world significantly changed for the better. Koch adopted Callum from the Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue. In rescuing the puppy, Koch received an unexpected reward in return: the world became a better place for him to live. The puppy became his best friend and helped boost his confidence.
In middle school, Koch found it hard to fit in, but as he entered high school with Callum waiting for him each day at home, he began to feel confident. The pup is always there for him and is fun to be around. Callum can also comfort Koch whenever the sudden uncontrollable sound and movements occur.
According to Koch, Callum can sense it when he does those tics. The dog would nudge him, and then he feels the stress go away. Callum is also good at keeping him busy, playing with him, and distracting him, which is a great way to prevent the tics from occurring. He never thought it would be possible for a dog to help him control his tics.
At the beginning of 2020, Koch thought of posting videos of Callum on TikTok. Surprisingly, the video went viral, gaining around 500,000 views. Koch also enjoyed filming Callum, so he continued posting more videos of the adorable pup online.
Now, the duo is famous on the social media platform with over 1.4M followers. Their internet fame allows Koch and Callum to spread positivity to people who feel out of place or gloomy, especially during this pandemic.
Photo credits to Callum’s Instagram account.
