Seizure Dog for Molly Zolman
Donation protected
The goal of this fundraising venture is to help the Zolman family purchase a seizure dog for Molly Zolman. See her story below:
In 2006, when Molly was 5 years old, she began having seizures. At first we were able to gain some control of the seizures through medication. The medicines began to lose their effectiveness, even though we tried 6 or 7 different kinds. We went from neurological care here in Fort Wayne, to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, then finally to Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The duration of the seizures continued to lengthen to the point that we would end up having to administer emergency meds or take Molly into the emergency room in order to get them to stop. In 2009, Molly went through some extensive and torturous testing at Cleveland Clinic in the hopes that the results would reveal a specific surgical site that, if removed, would end her seizures. Unfortunately, doctors told us that they believed the procedure only had a 20-30% chance of success. At that point, we felt the best route was to go ahead with the procedure and pray for success. The procedure went well, and for a year Molly was seizure-free.
When Molly’s seizures returned, they were shorter and her recovery time had lessened. Since brain surgery, we have not had to administer any emergency meds or visit the ER. Even with these benefits, Molly’s seizure frequency continued to increase. After much research, contemplation, prayer, and discussions with Molly, we decided to have a devise call a Vagus Nerve Stimulator, or VNS, surgically implanted, hoping once again for control of these seizures. Unfortunately, although it too has shown some benefits, her seizures continue. Presently, Molly has on average of 1 to 3 seizures per week.
Molly is now 16 years old, a sophomore at Homestead High School, and is doing well. Her “normal” is different than any of her peers. At this point in her journey, we believe that epilepsy will probably be a lifelong battle for Molly. As we come to grips with that fact (not easily), we realize that we need to be proactive in helping her to be as self-sufficient as possible.
Being unable to control or predict when Molly will seize limits her ability to be safely independent in many avenues of her life. As we looked for ways to help her become more independent, we discovered that there are medical assistance dogs that sometimes have the ability to alert epileptics to an oncoming seizure and then help protect them while it occurs.
We have studied and researched these dogs for quite some time and have contacted multiple facilities. After much discussion, prayer, and research, we have decided that we are going to try to purchase a service dog for Molly through an Indianapolis company called Medical Mutts For more information on Medical Mutts click here- https://www.medicalmutts.com/
That brings us to the purpose of this GoFundMe effort. Please pray that Molly and her service dog will bond and develop these abilities in ways most beneficial to Molly. We also ask that you join us in praying for God’s provision in this situation. Lastly, we are humbly asking you to prayerfully consider partnering with us to raise money for this purchase for Molly. The total cost for Molly’s service dog will be $16,000. Medical Mutts has an initial charge of $3,000 that begins the process of finding a suitable dog for Molly (they use shelter and rescue dogs) and then training it. The remaining balance becomes due when Molly receives her dog. From start to finish, this process can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months. We have been overwhelmed by the number of people expressing an interest in helping us with this kind of endeavor, and we couldn’t be more grateful. We sincerely thank you for any part you might play in this endeavor.
In 2006, when Molly was 5 years old, she began having seizures. At first we were able to gain some control of the seizures through medication. The medicines began to lose their effectiveness, even though we tried 6 or 7 different kinds. We went from neurological care here in Fort Wayne, to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, then finally to Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The duration of the seizures continued to lengthen to the point that we would end up having to administer emergency meds or take Molly into the emergency room in order to get them to stop. In 2009, Molly went through some extensive and torturous testing at Cleveland Clinic in the hopes that the results would reveal a specific surgical site that, if removed, would end her seizures. Unfortunately, doctors told us that they believed the procedure only had a 20-30% chance of success. At that point, we felt the best route was to go ahead with the procedure and pray for success. The procedure went well, and for a year Molly was seizure-free.
When Molly’s seizures returned, they were shorter and her recovery time had lessened. Since brain surgery, we have not had to administer any emergency meds or visit the ER. Even with these benefits, Molly’s seizure frequency continued to increase. After much research, contemplation, prayer, and discussions with Molly, we decided to have a devise call a Vagus Nerve Stimulator, or VNS, surgically implanted, hoping once again for control of these seizures. Unfortunately, although it too has shown some benefits, her seizures continue. Presently, Molly has on average of 1 to 3 seizures per week.
Molly is now 16 years old, a sophomore at Homestead High School, and is doing well. Her “normal” is different than any of her peers. At this point in her journey, we believe that epilepsy will probably be a lifelong battle for Molly. As we come to grips with that fact (not easily), we realize that we need to be proactive in helping her to be as self-sufficient as possible.
Being unable to control or predict when Molly will seize limits her ability to be safely independent in many avenues of her life. As we looked for ways to help her become more independent, we discovered that there are medical assistance dogs that sometimes have the ability to alert epileptics to an oncoming seizure and then help protect them while it occurs.
We have studied and researched these dogs for quite some time and have contacted multiple facilities. After much discussion, prayer, and research, we have decided that we are going to try to purchase a service dog for Molly through an Indianapolis company called Medical Mutts For more information on Medical Mutts click here- https://www.medicalmutts.com/
That brings us to the purpose of this GoFundMe effort. Please pray that Molly and her service dog will bond and develop these abilities in ways most beneficial to Molly. We also ask that you join us in praying for God’s provision in this situation. Lastly, we are humbly asking you to prayerfully consider partnering with us to raise money for this purchase for Molly. The total cost for Molly’s service dog will be $16,000. Medical Mutts has an initial charge of $3,000 that begins the process of finding a suitable dog for Molly (they use shelter and rescue dogs) and then training it. The remaining balance becomes due when Molly receives her dog. From start to finish, this process can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months. We have been overwhelmed by the number of people expressing an interest in helping us with this kind of endeavor, and we couldn’t be more grateful. We sincerely thank you for any part you might play in this endeavor.
Organizer and beneficiary
Shawn Harkness
Organizer
Fort Wayne, IN
Chad Zolman
Beneficiary
