Help Selena Access a Cardiac Alert Service Dog

Hi, my name is Selena, I am a 26 year old with a handful of rare diagnoses that make my life substantially harder than it ought to be. Due to these rare conditions, I have sought out the support of several specialist doctors. These doctors have all come to the conclusion that a medical service dog could be a huge aid to me and help me live a more normal life. This would allow me to keep doing my job and contributing to the lives of the clients I work with as an adolescent addictions counsellor.

I have a rare genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, meaning that none of the collagen and therefore connective tissue in my body formed properly. Not only does this condition cause me major problems such as recurrent subluxations, dislocations, and immense amounts of chronic pain; it also means that many of my organ systems do not work as intended. Not a single one of my organ systems works the way it is supposed to, which means I have also developed several other chronic health conditions. Three of the main conditions I have that alter my day to day functioning are Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and An Unspecified Migraine Disorder.

My cardiac condition, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or P.O.T.s for short means that my heart is not capable of pumping blood through my body correctly. This means that I frequently experience brain fog, blood pooling in my extremities, and dizziness, but the biggest negative factor to this condition is the fact that it causes me to pass out. This condition means that I have very little tolerance to being in an upright position, or if I am in an upright position I get incredibly ill and even pass out or experience syncope.

The second condition, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) means that my mast cells (or allergy cells) do not fire appropriately. This means I can frequently go into anaphylactic episodes that put my life at risk. These anaphylactic episodes are a result of my cells not working properly rather than allergens like anyone else with allergies.

The third condition I mentioned above is an unspecified migraine disorder. I have experienced debilitating migraines since the age of 4 years old. I used to spend at least one day each week for years in the emergency room because of the debilitating pain this causes me. Over the years I have been seen by several neurologists, have been on almost every treatment in the world that is safe for me to try and am currently sitting on a waitlist to see yet another specialist because none of these treatments have worked. I suffer migraines upwards of 20 times a month, which means I miss out on a lot of experiences and makes it incredibly hard for me to work.

Due to the above conditions, and several other symptoms we have yet to diagnose or explain, my medical team has filled out paperwork for and has recommended I seek the assistance of a formally trained Cardiac and Migraine alert dog. With their expertise and the help of my support group I have found an option that allows me to help with the training of my own service animal and decreases the cost of obtaining a fully trained service dog. With that being said, all of the professionals involved in ensuring my dog is trained correctly and can pass a public access proficiency test still comes at a large cost. A cost that I, as a disabled and chronically ill person do not have the ability to pay by myself. It is crucial to my safety and independence that this dog is trained appropriately and accurately to support my conditions. Having access to a service animal would mean that I can keep participating in my life and engage in things like work and further education.