CHARLOTTE, NC—“No job is too big, no pup is too small.” The slogan of the problem-solving team on Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol carries with it a sense of irony for one of its viewers, two-year-old Madison Gardner. Resisting the desire to watch just one more episode of the cartoon has proved to be too big a job for the toddler. The young girl has realized she would be perfectly content to sit and watch the puppies from Adventure Bay for every waking moment of her life. When asked about the issue, she demonstrated her deep-seated addiction with her response, mindlessly repeating “Paw Troll? Paw Troll?” while twitching violently.
The insightful youngster has admitted to her unhealthy connection with the TV show and has recently joined her church’s Celebrate Recovery program.
“She’s definitely the youngest member of our group,” said Luke Bergman, Pastor of Care and Counseling at Lakeside Church in Charlotte. “We’re all really impressed that she would make such a brave decision and deal with this issue before it gets worse.”
Madison’s parents support their daughter’s decision. “Her mother and I are so proud that she’s seeking out the help she needs,” said Sam Gardner. “But we’re a little bummed that we won’t have that guaranteed distraction we’ve had for when we need to get work done around the house or take a nice long nap.”
Having had a similar struggle, Madison’s older cousin, Jackson, has agreed to act as an accountability partner. “It’s one of the hardest things she’ll ever do,” he said. “One of the worst things is getting rid of all the stuff associated with the show that acts as triggers like pajamas and stuffed animals. When I was going through my rehab, I had a Paw Patrol coloring book hidden under my mattress that I would take out and color when no one was looking. But I finally kicked the habit.”
Madison has already shown signs of progress and only screamed for 10 minutes instead of the previous 25 minutes when her parents turned the TV off. Her recovery suffered a minor setback, however, when her parents carried her by the toy aisle at Target and she caught a glimpse of Marshall, Rubble, Chase, Rocky, Zuma, Skye, and their toy vehicles.
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