Service Dog for Julia
Donation protected
We are seeking $13,000 in order to obtain a service dog for our 21-year-old daughter Julia, who is living with Epilepsy and Autism.
She is in high school, and began having seizures when she was twelve. Julia has no verbal language and communicates by spelling on a letterboard. She previously could predict when the seizures were to come, and we could keep her safe. However, in the last few months, her epilepsy has progressed to the generalize type and she collapses without warning. During seizures, Julia’s muscles go limp, raising concerns of fractures and concussions.
For Julia to regain autonomy in her life, on February 26th we contracted with Jillian Skalky, an accredited professional trainer from “Creating New Tails”. She has matched Julia with Venus, a young standard poodle.
Venus will be trained to perform three specific tasks to mitigate Julia’s disabilities.
Seizures Detection: She will alert caretakers by nudging and barking 5-10 minutes prior to the onset of a seizure, in order for steps to be taken to protect Julia’s safety.
Behavior Interruption: Venus will redirect Julia’s self-injurious stimming behaviors. Julia will pet Venus to keep her hands occupied.
Deep Pressure Stimulation: Julia has stated that fear of dying from a seizure interferes with her ability to sleep. In response to Julia’s concerns, Venus will locate specific pressure points on Julia’s body to lower her blood pressure.
Julia and Venus made an immediate connection the first time they met. Julia stated, “Venus makes me feel safe” and she is “Beautiful”.
Our signed contract in the amount of $13,000 will pay for Venus’ continued training and upkeep. We expect to have her join our family by September, 2017 and until then Julia will take an active role in Venus’ training.
In order for us to continue with this process, we must raise $2000 a month for next six months. Any amount is appreciated. We will update regularly on their progress. As always, we are so grateful for your thoughts and prayers.
She is in high school, and began having seizures when she was twelve. Julia has no verbal language and communicates by spelling on a letterboard. She previously could predict when the seizures were to come, and we could keep her safe. However, in the last few months, her epilepsy has progressed to the generalize type and she collapses without warning. During seizures, Julia’s muscles go limp, raising concerns of fractures and concussions.
For Julia to regain autonomy in her life, on February 26th we contracted with Jillian Skalky, an accredited professional trainer from “Creating New Tails”. She has matched Julia with Venus, a young standard poodle.
Venus will be trained to perform three specific tasks to mitigate Julia’s disabilities.
Seizures Detection: She will alert caretakers by nudging and barking 5-10 minutes prior to the onset of a seizure, in order for steps to be taken to protect Julia’s safety.
Behavior Interruption: Venus will redirect Julia’s self-injurious stimming behaviors. Julia will pet Venus to keep her hands occupied.
Deep Pressure Stimulation: Julia has stated that fear of dying from a seizure interferes with her ability to sleep. In response to Julia’s concerns, Venus will locate specific pressure points on Julia’s body to lower her blood pressure.
Julia and Venus made an immediate connection the first time they met. Julia stated, “Venus makes me feel safe” and she is “Beautiful”.
Our signed contract in the amount of $13,000 will pay for Venus’ continued training and upkeep. We expect to have her join our family by September, 2017 and until then Julia will take an active role in Venus’ training.
In order for us to continue with this process, we must raise $2000 a month for next six months. Any amount is appreciated. We will update regularly on their progress. As always, we are so grateful for your thoughts and prayers.
Organizer
David Martin
Organizer
Pompano Beach, FL