Help us get a service dog for Leia!

Please help my niece get a service dog ❤️

Here is her story in her words!

Hi! My name is Leia and I’m 11 years old. I love art, dressing up, legos, playing video games, and animals. I also have autism. My autism causes me to be scared of a lot of things, so scared in fact that I haven’t left my house in over a year! I haven’t gone to school, I know I have some cavities but I haven’t seen a dentist, I need new glasses but I haven’t been able to get my eyes checked again. I haven’t even left my driveway! I often tell my mom that I just want to be normal and don’t like living like this but my fears are so big that they make me panic and feel like I’m dying. I also have a tremendous sensitivity to noise, loud noises hurt me and scare me a lot. I don’t like the garbage truck or the school bus driving by because they’re so loud and scare me so much that I need to hide in a closet till it’s safe again to come out.

Have I told you yet that I’m also an animal whisperer? I tell most people that. Animals will follow me around and do tricks for me that they won’t do for other people. I feel safer with them everywhere.

My parents believe that getting me a service dog will help me to feel safer leaving the house, I think so too because it would be allowed to come with me everywhere I go. It could open lights for me before I walk into a room, and inspect it so I know it’s safe. It could provide deep pressure for when I start to panic or even just help to ground me and help me to feel safe. I know it can do much more than that too!

My parents have been trying hard to get me a service dog by training our dogs with a trainer but they just don’t have the right temperament, it sucks because to buy a fully trained service dog is $40,000!

I hope we can make this happen because I feel like this could change my life!

My amazing aunts have set up a gofundme page to help raise the funds for this life-saving dog!

P.S. I’ve already picked a name out… it’s Pride!