Three-year-old Emma Young is a chatty toddler with a mind of her own. She wasn't always that way.
"She didn't start talking until she was 2," Emma's mom, Ashli Young said. "She may be the social butterfly that she is, but she still has issues communicating."
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREEmma was born with a congenital condition, Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome (BRRS), that can cause developmental delays. On top of that, she was diagnosed with autism when she was 2-years old.
"My in-laws first noticed that she would flap her hands and cover her ears and she'll get upset over loud noises," Young said. "She has her moments where she gets overwhelmed over-stimulated and she just needs a breather."
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP The Youngs are hoping to get Emma an ADA-certified service dog. They've been approved by the non-profit 4 Paws for Ability. The family has to raise $20,000 of the estimated $60,000 cost to get a service dog trained specifically to help Emma.
"Since she has autism, the dog would be trained to do specifically things that help her," Young said.
Young is hoping a service dog will help Emma be all she can be in life.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"If she wants to become a teacher, I want her to teach. If she wants to become a singer, I want her to sing to the world," Young said. "If she wants to be a doctor, I want her to cure cancer!"
The Youngs have a Facebook page, Paws 4 Emma, to raise money and track their progress in getting a service dog. So far, they've raised about $2,000 of the $20,000 needed.
