Returning a kindness

Leslie Kelly's alarm clock has a tail, four legs and a wet nose.

The Altoona woman, who is deaf, cannot hear a typical alarm clock, but Nokie, her hearing service dog, is a friendly substitute, jumping on her bed and poking her in the face with his nose when it's time to rise and shine.

Bringing Kelly, 57, and Nokie, 2, together was a long, expensive process. Now that the two are bonding, Kelly wants to make connecting those in need with a service dog less stressful.

Nokie is Kelly's third service dog. Her first, Sara, died from cancer two years ago. The second one, Wendy, didn't pass certification because she had a fear of loud noises.

"I was just crushed because I felt like I was back at the bottom again," said Kelly, a deaf and hard-of-hearing specialist with the Center for Independent Living of South Central Pennsylvania.

Eventually she was teamed with Nokie, a yellow Labrador retriever, this summer through Keystone Human Service's Susquehanna Service Dogs program.

Training and placing a service dog typically costs about $20,000, but through the Susquehanna program, donations bring the cost down to about $5,000, according to www.keystonehumanservices.org.

Word got out about Kelly collecting pop can tabs to raise money for a hearing service dog, and community members from places such as Lakemont's St. John the Evangelist School and Redstone Highlands Senior Living Community in Murrysville began collecting pop tabs for the cause.

The Meadows in Greenwood raised $800, Kelly said.

"The community has been really wonderful," she said.

Kelly now wants to return the favor. Schools are continuing to collect pop tabs, and Kelly is placing money raised into a fund for service dogs and their masters.

RJ Ott and his mom, Mindy, of Altoona are part of the cycle of giving that hooked Kelly up with Nokie.

RJ knew Kelly's first dog, Sara, and when she placed a plea for pop tabs in the newspaper, the now 14-year-old heart transplant recipient wanted to give back for all the support he received when he had been sick.

Her son "wants to return the favor," Mindy Ott said.

RJ is sick right now, but as soon as he is feeling better, he plans to deliver about 5,000 tabs to Kelly and meet Nokie for the first time, his mom said.

"If we can help somebody [who is helping] somebody else out, I'm all for it," Mindy Ott said.

To make a donation, call Kelly at 949-1905 or e-mail lkelly@cilscpa.org.

Mirror Staff Writer Amanda Clegg is at 949-7030.