Help Makylee train her Autism Service Dog

Hi, my name is Hallie and I am a Mama to four beautiful daughters, one of which, Makylee, was diagnosed with severe autism in August of 2022. The process of getting her diagnosed was a long and gruesome one and began when, in the height of covid and therapies were largely offered remotely, Makylee turned two years old and was nonverbal. She had previously used a couple words (Mama, Dada, hi) but would quickly lose them. We got her enrolled in early intervention and engaged in therapies privately to get her the help that she needed. Many things were ruled out including epilepsy and genetic disorders, while we waited well over a year to get her diagnoses of autism. She entered the school system at the age of 3 (Oct 2021) where we met some difficult circumstances that required hiring advocacy and fighting for our child to get what she deserves. Finally, in May of 2022 after researching therapies, encountering waitlists etc we met our speech therapist who was able to help us make some progress. It was then she began introducing Makylee to an AAC device on an IPad that helped her begin to make slow strides in communication. Since then, and her diagnosis of autism, we have begun to better understand Makylee's needs and have actively been pursuing ABA therapies as recommended by her multiple doctors. However, like everything else, waitlists and limited availability have prolonged the process and despite my best effort and putting Makylee on every wait-list in the area, we have been unable to get the help she so desperately needs. This Mama, exasperated and tired, began to seek out other therapies or treatments that would help our sweet girl. It was then I stumbled on Autism Service Dogs and how amazingly beneficial they are to those struggling with autism specifically those who are nonverbal. Article after article only affirmed that THIS is what Makylee so desperately needs. So, I researched and reached out to a couple recommended trainers to see where God would lead us next. After a couple days, and more deflating news of limited ABA availability, our prayers were answered when a trainer contacted me and asked to meet with us. We quickly met with him and were intrigued and impressed by his knowledge regarding training an Autism Service Dog and his overall thoughts on autism. We were again affirmed that this is what Makylee needed. Then the shock of a lifetime, a fellow Autism Family who saw the benefits of a service dog for their child, wanted to offer us a 5 month old Labradoodle puppy to be trained as Makylee's service dog. We met with them and the trainer and felt God totally within it all. We have felt so alone and fought so hard for Makylee for even basic rights and treatment, the blessing of this dog for her was almost overwhelming. But then, reality hit, the training for this dog to provide what Makylee needs (deep tissue therapy, tethering, deters from self harm etc) would be over $7,000 of training. So here we are, needing help. As a family of 6 with typical needs, we additionally have significant medical bills due to Makylee's autism that don't lend to an extra $7,000+. So we are asking for help. We believe that God opened the doors for Makylee to receive this service dog that she so desperately needs, and we fervently believe that He will provide for the training as well. Any bit you can give to help our sweet child is an incredible blessing, and we are so incredibly grateful. Thank you SO much!