Service Dog for Anna Grace

Leigh Ann Connors Stephens is organizing this fundraiser.

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Anna Grace was diagnosed in 2014 with epilepsy as she was beginning her 4th grade school year. For several years her neurologist worked to control her seizures without much success. Anna Grace continued to fail medications and continued to have many types of seizures. She suffered from cognitive deficits as well as social difficulties due to her seizures at that time. In the fall of 2016, her epilepsy changed and she began having multiple seizures daily as well as several tonic clonic seizures a month. One event in September of 2016 changed her life forever. She spent two days at the local Children's Hospital in Knoxville, TN. The doctors were unable to stop her seizure activity and we were transported by ambulance to Vanderbilt Childrens hospital, where they have a Level 5 Epilepsy Program.

Her journey has taken her from generalized seizures to refractory epilepsy. She underwent a frontal lobectomy surgery in March of 2017. Anna Grace had to undergo many tests, some more invasive than others as she was being tested for candidacy for this major surgery. I was hopeful along with her team of doctors this surgery would give her the best chance of having the best quality of life she could. For three years she has worked to rebuild her strength and has overcome many obstacles. She has overcome so many hardships in her life with epilepsy. After a few years post surgery she began having signs of seizure activity. We began to monitor her more and have regular EEG's, but Anna Grace did not have a tonic clonic seizure for three years.

Then in June of 2020 she had her first tonic clonic seizure post surgery. Anna Grace's epilepsy specialist has told us she will continue to have seizures now and it is anticipated the seizures will continue to worsen as time goes on. This has been devastating to both her and I as she has worked diligently to have a sense of "normal." This seizure event has now changed her confidence in her abilities and affected her mobility. She will be evaluated for one more surgical option, which would provide palliative care only.

We are now on a journey to find her safety and security with her epilepsy. Every medication has been tried and failed, surgery has failed, and now she lives in the fear of the unknown for her future. With the recommendation of her doctor we are now working towards an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) seizure response dog. This type of dog is one of the very best ways to give her security and stability, something she desperately needs in her life. These specially trained dogs are very costly, and I am asking for your help to make this new journey possible. Thank you for your help and generosity in supporting her journey. We both appreciate you taking the time to read her story and consider making any donation toward her seizure response service dog.