Shane Koch is a social media super star with his “Callum the Ridgy” TikTok page. The Delray Beach 16-year-old’s connection with his dog and social media runs much deeper than 1.4 million followers. Callum has been by Koch’s side for almost a year, helping him when nothing else worked. At eight-years old, Koch was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. “I could feel it in my chest, it felt kind of like a knot pushing at my chest so I couldn’t really control it,” Koch said about having Tourette’s. Traditional treatments didn’t make it go away completely. It broke his mother’s heart. “There’s nothing you can do about it,” his mother said. “So, that was very hard on me and I felt for Shane and eventually he dealt with it.” Now, Koch and his pup are a great team.

Neurologist Dr. Arif Dalvi says Tourette’s could go away by itself, but it’s always good to get help. “It certainly is believable,” said Dalvi. “Like I said, many of these kids, the ticks burn out with no treatment and secondly the dog is a wonderful way to reduce stress. Good for the dog.” It’s all changed Shane’s outlook on social media and his future “Wow, maybe I like this community,” said Shane. “The internet is actually a good place.” A place he’ll enjoy with his buddy right by his side.

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