Canby, OR — An 8-year-old Arkansas boy with a rare skin disorder meets a dog in Oregon with the same condition and it’s something the boy and his mom say they will never forget.
It’s as if they’ve known each other their whole lives.
Carter Blanchard and Rowdy are connected through spots.
“I definitely knew we would come soon, I just didn’t think it would be within two days,” says Carter’s mom Stephanie Adcock.
For the last year Carter and Rowdy only knew each other digitally, but Rowdy taught Carter to love his skin despite vitiligo.
Stephanie says Carter gained the confidence she always wanted him to have.
“Really it was life changing for him. It changed his childhood for the better, it was a gift I couldn’t give him.”
Now seeing her confident boy doing flips, stopping just long enough to pet rowdy, she says even his darkest days were worth it.
“It couldn’t be any other person that made him feel better. It had to be rowdy, it had to be a dog.”
It was a long awaited moment for rowdy and his owner Niki Umbenhower too.
“I have goosebumps when I think about the moment they walked through the door, I’m actually tearing up. It’s amazing.”
A moment Stephanie wasn’t sure would ever happen, but thanks to KATU viewers, it did.
“I wasn’t 100% sure we were going to get them together and now we have those memories.”
And now after an impromptu photoshoot, they can keep their memories forever.
“This is far more than we ever deserved, and so we are just overwhelmed with the support.”
As for Carter, he loves his four legged friend, but says Rowdy needs more spots.
“He needs some more on his back.” (laughter)
Connected through their spots and now with an unbreakable bond.
Carter: “Fun.”
Reporter: “Whats your favorite part?”
Carter: “Getting to pet him.”
On Sunday, Rowdy suffered from a seizure.
Doctors say he needs more medical tests to determine what’s wrong.
