Kelly's Mobility Assistance Dog
Donation protected
Hello everyone,
My name is Kelly Yang. To start off this campaign I would like to share my life story. I entered this world just like any other baby on an island of paradise called Guam. This tiny "rock" was all I ever knew, and one of the few places where you immediately sweat after taking a nice shower. :) However, I was a bit too excited and was born premature. It resulted in a neurological condition called cerebral palsy. This condition affected my fine and gross motor skills, balance, and muscle coordination. I started off not being able to sit up, eat on my own, dress myself, bathe myself, and many other actions. I basically started from ground zero and worked my way up. In short, anything that involved movement presented as a struggle. Nothing was ever easy and took a lot of courage to make my mark in the world.
What is wrong with you? This was the very question that always heightened my anxiety, sadness, and pain.
For approximately half of my life, I lived a lie, not understanding my disability or knowing how to educate others. I was told at a young age that I would not amount to any success by society and encountered discrimination, teasing, bullying, and isolation for being a person with a physical disability. "Just take it easy, sweetie. Think of your health," the world said. The school setting was most traumatizing as I felt alone and dealt with issues not many could personally relate to.
In addition, living on the island of Guam was major barrier due the limited resources for healthcare and specialized medical treatment. I recall navigating through the complicated system and constantly being bounced around like a pinball. My turning point was when I received medical treatment at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu, Hawaii, starting from year 2000 to 2011. At the age of 7 I walked with my feet flat on the ground for the very first time. Not only was I given the ability to hope but also to inspire my community with story telling.
In 2011, I moved to California to pursue my education further. Hardships do not exactly go away as one grows older. In my opinion they become much harder, especially when it requires a voice. Coming from an adverse childhood, I perceived myself to be an outsider looking in, the girl on the scooter who people felt sorry for and needed prayer, and the broken leg girl. I believed that I was a "freak" from the reactions I observed from some people. Inadequacy overwhelmed and consumed me. This is where I find a service dog advantageous as it will mitigate my struggles with cerebral palsy and create a wonderful community through my partnership with my service dog.
My service dog will assist me in: balance stability, retrieval of items, opening and closing doors, turning lights on/off, activation of automatic door openers and/or elevator, assistance in helping me back up on my feet, and emergency/alert response in situations where I have fallen but there is no help available around me. Overall, getting this dog will strengthen and widen the extent of my safety as I face life on my own.
Finally, this fund will help get me started with the following:
Service dog support package, a local trainer in Los Angeles area, and expenses for the dog's vet care and wellbeing.
Thank you for reading! PLEASE check the updates section for the latest scoop of my journey! :)
Sincerely,
Kelly Yang
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do some with passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." ~Maya Angelou
My name is Kelly Yang. To start off this campaign I would like to share my life story. I entered this world just like any other baby on an island of paradise called Guam. This tiny "rock" was all I ever knew, and one of the few places where you immediately sweat after taking a nice shower. :) However, I was a bit too excited and was born premature. It resulted in a neurological condition called cerebral palsy. This condition affected my fine and gross motor skills, balance, and muscle coordination. I started off not being able to sit up, eat on my own, dress myself, bathe myself, and many other actions. I basically started from ground zero and worked my way up. In short, anything that involved movement presented as a struggle. Nothing was ever easy and took a lot of courage to make my mark in the world.
What is wrong with you? This was the very question that always heightened my anxiety, sadness, and pain.
For approximately half of my life, I lived a lie, not understanding my disability or knowing how to educate others. I was told at a young age that I would not amount to any success by society and encountered discrimination, teasing, bullying, and isolation for being a person with a physical disability. "Just take it easy, sweetie. Think of your health," the world said. The school setting was most traumatizing as I felt alone and dealt with issues not many could personally relate to.
In addition, living on the island of Guam was major barrier due the limited resources for healthcare and specialized medical treatment. I recall navigating through the complicated system and constantly being bounced around like a pinball. My turning point was when I received medical treatment at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu, Hawaii, starting from year 2000 to 2011. At the age of 7 I walked with my feet flat on the ground for the very first time. Not only was I given the ability to hope but also to inspire my community with story telling.
In 2011, I moved to California to pursue my education further. Hardships do not exactly go away as one grows older. In my opinion they become much harder, especially when it requires a voice. Coming from an adverse childhood, I perceived myself to be an outsider looking in, the girl on the scooter who people felt sorry for and needed prayer, and the broken leg girl. I believed that I was a "freak" from the reactions I observed from some people. Inadequacy overwhelmed and consumed me. This is where I find a service dog advantageous as it will mitigate my struggles with cerebral palsy and create a wonderful community through my partnership with my service dog.
My service dog will assist me in: balance stability, retrieval of items, opening and closing doors, turning lights on/off, activation of automatic door openers and/or elevator, assistance in helping me back up on my feet, and emergency/alert response in situations where I have fallen but there is no help available around me. Overall, getting this dog will strengthen and widen the extent of my safety as I face life on my own.
Finally, this fund will help get me started with the following:
Service dog support package, a local trainer in Los Angeles area, and expenses for the dog's vet care and wellbeing.
Thank you for reading! PLEASE check the updates section for the latest scoop of my journey! :)
Sincerely,
Kelly Yang
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do some with passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." ~Maya Angelou
Organizer
Kelly Yang
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA