My name is Emily and I was diagnosed with generalized epilepsy on January 6, 2022. Being diagnosed at the age of 15 it has brought many challenges to my life physically, emotionally and socially. I experience grand mal (tonic clonic) seizures as well as absence (petite mal) seizures.

Over the last four years my doctors have tried over 15 medications to try and control my seizures with very little success. This has led to refractory or medicine resistance epilepsy. Refractory epilepsy can impact nearly every part of a person’s life because seizures continue despite treatment, with safety often being one of the biggest concerns. Unpredictable seizures can create risks of falls, injuries, accidents, and the need for supervision during everyday activities such as driving, bathing, swimming, or being alone. It can also affect memory, concentration, school, work, and independence while causing ongoing anxiety and uncertainty.

I am currently on a waitlist to receive a service dog through Little Angels Service Dogs, an organization that provides highly trained service dogs to individuals and families whose lives can be greatly impacted by the support these incredible animals provide While we wait for our future service dog, we wanted to find a meaningful way to give back to the organization that is working so hard to help families like ours.

That is why we are fundraising for Little Angels Service Dogs during this waiting period. Our goal is to support the training, care, and placement of these life-changing dogs so that more families can receive the help and independence they need.

This journey means so much to my family and I, and we are grateful for the hope Little Angels has given our family. Any support, whether through donations or sharing our fundraiser, helps make a difference for families still waiting and for the amazing dogs being trained to serve them.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us!

Little Angels Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an Assistance Dogs International (ADI) accreditation. We provide highly trained assistance dogs to help children and adults living with disabilities to live more independent lives. Our mission is to maximize the innate ability of dogs to give the gift of independence to individuals regardless of disability or age.

Our primary purpose is to change the lives of people living with disabilities by helping them live a more independent life. Approximately 13% of Americans are living with disabilities, and less than 1% of that community use service dogs due to a mix of availability, costs, and barriers for service animals that still exist today. Our goal is to overcome those barriers for people living with disabilities to appropriately match service dogs with their recipients.

We train our service dogs to perform specific tasks and behaviors that mitigate the effects of a person's disability, enabling them to lead more autonomous and fulfilling lives. Results of various studies on the impact service dogs have on their owners living with disabilities have indicated that service dog ownership may include benefits like greater social and emotional health, independence, and overall quality of life.

Our service dogs include psychiatric (civilian and military), seizure alert, diabetic alert, hearing assistance, mobility assistance, and autism assistance. We firmly believe that all disabilities should be regarded with equal importance, irrespective of their visibility. Our team acknowledges our responsibility not only to our service dogs but also to the individuals we serve.

Help Emily Help Others

Fundraising for Little Angels Service Dogs