Service Dog Fundraiser

Hi there! I am saving up for a mobility and medical alert service dog that will help me live a more full and safe life.

More about my story-

I was always active (I ran a half marathon in 2014 raise money for Racers for Pacers, a local nonprofit that raises money for special running strollers for disabled kids!). Unfortunately, in 2010, I developed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which was mild at the time but progressed significantly in 2019 while I was working full time and getting my masters in social work, and has continued to worsen since. Doctors have compared the quality of life of a POTS patient to that of an individual receiving dialysis for end-stage liver failure. The diagnostic criteria relates to heartrate but it impacts so much more. I am now very limited in my ability to walk for more than 10 minutes at a time, and cannot stand still for more than 2 minutes without experiencing extreme nausea, shortness of breath, trouble speaking, etc. I went from being incredibly active to being able to just get through the work day (some days even that feels impossible), get in bed, and go to sleep due to incredibly extreme fatigue. I typically have about 2 hours of usable energy on a weekend day where I can see friends/family, or do chores and the rest of the weekend is spent resting. There is no cure for POTS and it’s a truly isolating and lonely disease. At 29 years old, it feels as thought I’m watching everyone I love live their lives while I am struggling to keep my head above water and just survive.

This service dog will alert me to sudden spikes in heartrate so that I can sit down and not feel sick, assist with my mobility by wearing a specialized harness that will help me with balance, alleviate some of the fatigue and dizziness I feel, pick items up when I drop them to prevent me from getting dizzier, lead me to a place to sit down, and so, so much more. This dog will help be able to go out in the world and not be afraid. A service dog will make my life infinitely better, bigger, and so much more full. They will allow me to actually live, instead of just survive.

I have been so incredibly fortunate to find Precision Canine in Alabama. They are an incredible organization that works with a large number of POTS patients. This dog will not only be an incredibly loved partner but a life-changing medical device that I desperately need. If I am not able to raise and save the full $35,000, I will buy a partially trained service dog in training, which will allow me to train the dog myself to cut down on costs, and will finish the service dog's training through a board and train with Precision Canine. This would be around $20,000 or so (depending on a variety of factors). 
Thank you so much for reading!