Well, I don't know much about therapy with animals, but the fact is a lot of people is beeing helped by them. People that has had an accident, people with psychic or psychological problems, people with motor difficulties find in animals not solutions but some help. In my opinion some animals give more confidence than humans and they make people to earn much self confidence, and the results are that almost all of them improve, followed by medical therapy, of course.
About money Nikki's mother raised, ...I supose if you need anything to help your son, you get it: money, hospitals, doctors, another house in a better place. May be begging, working or asking for help to authorities or neighbors, but I'm sure that a mother can mange to get what his son needs.