Help Teona Get Her Service Dog
Donation protected
My name is Teona and I have Fibromyalgia, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Chronic Migraines.
As a result of my multiple conditions and the array of symptoms I deal with daily, I've lost a great deal of my mobility in the past few years. Due to this, I need a lot of assistance navigating my home and the outside world. I can no longer safely leave my house on my own due to the unpredictability of my conditions.
After tons of research and conversations with service dog handlers with my conditions and others, I've determined that a service dog would be extremely beneficial to me.
I've been evaluated by service dog organizations before and received confirmation that a service dog would fit my needs and the tasks I'd require of them, but all organizations require travel out of my city or state which I'm unable to do and cannot afford. Because of this, I'll have to get and train my service dog on my own with a local training organization.
I'm in the process of applying for Disability (again) and because of this, I'm severely limited in the amount of money I'm allowed to make. After losing my ability to work in April due to the severity of my ME, I relied on unemployment in hopes of finding a part-time job that was more accessible and accommodating. Unfortunately, I've yet to find that job despite my dozens of weekly applications and I haven't received money from Unemployment since May due to ongoing issues with their systems and the low amount of staff available to assist.
On my own, there's no way I can afford all that needs to be done. With the growing severity of my conditions, lack of resources and the continuous process of trying to seek treatment for my existing diagnoses and undiagnosed symptoms, I really need the help.
Any donation will go towards the cost of the dog, medical care such as shots and screenings, training and any equipment/tools I'll need like a leash, harness and things recommended by the trainers.
As a result of my multiple conditions and the array of symptoms I deal with daily, I've lost a great deal of my mobility in the past few years. Due to this, I need a lot of assistance navigating my home and the outside world. I can no longer safely leave my house on my own due to the unpredictability of my conditions.
After tons of research and conversations with service dog handlers with my conditions and others, I've determined that a service dog would be extremely beneficial to me.
I've been evaluated by service dog organizations before and received confirmation that a service dog would fit my needs and the tasks I'd require of them, but all organizations require travel out of my city or state which I'm unable to do and cannot afford. Because of this, I'll have to get and train my service dog on my own with a local training organization.
I'm in the process of applying for Disability (again) and because of this, I'm severely limited in the amount of money I'm allowed to make. After losing my ability to work in April due to the severity of my ME, I relied on unemployment in hopes of finding a part-time job that was more accessible and accommodating. Unfortunately, I've yet to find that job despite my dozens of weekly applications and I haven't received money from Unemployment since May due to ongoing issues with their systems and the low amount of staff available to assist.
On my own, there's no way I can afford all that needs to be done. With the growing severity of my conditions, lack of resources and the continuous process of trying to seek treatment for my existing diagnoses and undiagnosed symptoms, I really need the help.
Any donation will go towards the cost of the dog, medical care such as shots and screenings, training and any equipment/tools I'll need like a leash, harness and things recommended by the trainers.
Organizer
Teona Studemire
Organizer
Jacksonville, FL