“Young Disabled Veteran Heather Gariepy Needs Your Help!”

We are a real American family, all four of us are military veterans with DD214s. Heather’s story is TRUE and her need is GREAT. Randi is a real service dog in training, living with her trainer in Arizona. Thank you for reading, believing, donating, and sharing. Xxoo

Who is Heather Gariepy?

Heather is a 32-year-old disabled/retired veteran who comes from a family of veterans. Her father is a retired Marine, her mother is a Marine Corps veteran and her brother is a Navy veteran. From a young age, Heather planned to make the military her career, and for six years was a successful Pashto linguist in the Air Force. She led a vibrant social life filled with outdoor activities and adventure. Being financially savvy, she bought her own home when she was just 21 years old and paid cash for her first car. She also had a motorcycle for ultimate independence.

While preparing for deployment, a series of Anthrax shots triggered a cascade of medical problems, resulting in Heather’s medical retirement from the Air Force in 2016. Even though she was struggling physically, she initially enrolled in the University of Massachusetts to study Quantum Physics and Engineering, but her medical issues soon became insurmountable.

Since then, her physical health has steadily declined. Over the past eight years she progressed from using a cane, to a walker, to a wheelchair, to ultimately being bedridden. She had to sell her house and relocate out of state to live with family; she lost her ability to drive and had to sell her motorcycle and car. She is now completely disabled and fully dependent on her family to survive.

Why does Heather need a service dog?

Heather has been diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder, a variety of autoimmune syndromes, and degenerative disc disease which limits the use of her hands and legs and leaves her suffering up to thirty seizures a day. Her body gets stuck in contorted positions for minutes at a time, until she loses consciousness and completely collapses, unable to move or call for help.

Randi the Service Dog is a two-year-old German Shepherd/Malinois mix who is currently in task-training which will enable Heather to gain a considerable amount of independence. With Randi, Heather will no longer need to rely on or call another person every time she needs help repositioning, turning a nightlight on or off, pressing an emergency call button, or picking up dropped items. Most of us don’t even think twice about picking up a dropped item but even this small task is a monumental effort for Heather in her current condition. In addition to physical assistance, Randi will provide Heather with comfort and companionship, making her an invaluable addition to Heather’s very limited world!

Why so much money?

Heather has twice been on the top of sponsored service dog lists only to be denied because she could not personally attend training, and proxy training was not an option. After years of searching, we finally found a wonderful out-of-state trainer willing to accommodate Heather’s special needs and who will come to us for training. This is no small feat, as she will be commuting from another state to work with us. And training doesn’t end upon delivery of the dog. We will continue to work with Randi and her trainer as long as necessary to adapt her abilities to Heather’s ever-changing needs. Additionally, Randi will need regular vet checkups and food for life.

Unfortunately, the VA won’t help Heather financially with any of this, so the onus is on Heather to pay for her service dog. In fact, every benefit Heather currently receives has been hard won only after extensive years-long battles with the VA.

Personally, we as a family have already spent upwards of $300,000 to provide Heather with housing, medical care, medications, medical treatments and lifestyle adaptations that the VA refused to pay for. Our funds are limited, Heather's funds are completely tapped out, and the VA is still not providing Heather with all the care she rates, deserves, and needs. Getting a service dog is a huge step in improving the quality of Heather’s life. She can’t do it alone, we can’t do it all, and that's why we are asking for your help!

Thank you in advance for your donation, and for sharing Heather and Randi's story.

All donations received are deposited directly into a bank account established expressly for Heather’s service dog needs. When Randi eventually retires, any remaining funds will be used towards her replacement.

In the event this fundraiser wildly exceeds its goal, excessive funds will only be used for Heather’s continued comfort and well being.