Humboldt Broncos survivor Graysen Cameron meets his new service dog Chase

It’s hard to believe but it’s been nearly half a year since the tragic bus accident in northern Saskatchewan that claimed the lives of 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team. For the families of the victims, there’s no amount of time that could possibly heal their emotional wounds. For families of some of the survivors however, things aren’t exactly picture perfect either.

One of those survivors, former Broncos player Graysen Cameron, is taking things one day at a time but admits that his life has forever been changed by the tragedy that he lived through. In an effort to help him adjust back to normal life, Cameron has been paired with a service dog named Chase, specifically to help him with his anxiety and nightmares.

Check out this heartwarming video from the CBC in which Cameron meets Chase for the first time

Humboldt bus crash survivor Grayson Cameron meets his new service dog, Chase, for the first time. The dog is trained to help recognize symptoms of anxiety and works to de-escalate them through affection. TheMoment

How sweet is that!? The dog is literally hugging his new owner. 

 Humboldtbroncos bus crash survivor Graysen Cameron, meeting his new service dog Chase. 

"They're dealing with a lot of anxiety right now. We knew that was coming. We're only five months in now, and they're just starting to come out of the shock, to be honest," said Graysen's mom, Pam Cameron. [Grayson] was very agitated and when the dogs came in, there was just a peace about him."

Chase was raised by Manitoba based service dog training George Leonard of MSAR Elite Service Dogs. "From what I've seen working with veterans, this next year and a bit is a critical time," says Leonard. "He's going to continue in hockey, continue in school; he's going to need support for that to make that happen. He's going to need a dog in order to distract him and in order to get through his daily life."

All the best to Chase and Graysen in what’s sure to be a long road to recovery. The entire hockey world is with you Graysen… oh… and you too, Chase.