Before I developed POTS, I never imagined how much energy could go into simply feeling safe doing everyday things. I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) in May 2025. Since then, life has looked very different. POTS can make standing, walking, exercising, running errands, or simply getting through a normal day unpredictable. Symptoms like dizziness, nausea, fatigue, weakness, and fainting episodes can come without much warning.

One of the hardest parts has been adjusting to that unpredictability. There are days when I feel capable of doing many of the things I used to do, and other days when my body forces me to slow down. It has changed the way I think about independence and what it means to feel secure when I am out on my own.

That is one of the reasons I am so grateful to have been approved to receive a service dog through Little Angels Service Dogs. I hope that having a trained service dog will give me another layer of support as I navigate life with POTS — helping me feel safer, more confident, and more independent in situations that can otherwise feel uncertain.

While I wait to be matched with my service dog, I am fundraising for Little Angels Service Dogs to help pay that opportunity forward and help Little Angels continue raising, training, and placing service dogs with people living with disabilities. Little Angels Service Dogs is an Assistance Dogs International-accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves recipients across the United States. Every donation helps support their mission and makes it possible for more people to experience the life-changing benefits of a service dog.

Receiving a service dog has given me something incredibly meaningful to look forward to. I hope this fundraiser can also help someone else experience that same sense of hope. If you are able to donate to this amazing cause, I would be incredibly grateful. If donating isn't possible, sharing this page is another wonderful way to support Little Angels and the people they serve.

Thank you for supporting Little Angels Service Dogs and for being part of this journey with me.

Samantha

About Little Angels Service Dogs:

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.

Paying It Forward

Fundraising for Little Angels Service Dogs by Samantha