A Service Dog for Maddie
Donation protected
I would like to tell you a little bit about a very, very special young lady. She is special to me just because she is my granddaughter. However, there are many other reasons that I would like to share with you.
When her mom was pregnant with Madison she was required to stay on complete bed rest for approximately four months to prevent Madison from being born premature. She was in a hurry to get into this world and has been in high gear ever since her arrival. She talked early, walked early and from the moment she could hold an object in her hands, it was a ball. She excels at everything she attempts. She has been a straight “A” student until this year despite having Dysgraphia and Dyslexia. She obtained a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do by the age of nine. She played softball for a while but her love for basketball has won out as her sport of choice. The first letters she learned to recognize were E-G-G because she had an allergy to this little substance. No matter what challenges life has thrown in her path during her short life, she has hit them “head on”. She never meets a stranger and has more friends than I can count. She is quick with a compliment and always has a smile. When she was little she had a saying “This is the best day of my life”. I hope she will be able say that again.
We know God never gives us more than we can handle and I have no doubt she will come through this and be an example to others. She needs your help for this next challenge she is facing. Last year she was diagnosed with Jeavon’s Syndrome. This is a very rare form of Epilepsy. Her life has literally been turned upside down. She has gone from looking forward to learning how to drive to not being able to even walk on the beach without wearing a life jacket. She is not allowed to use sharp objects such as scissors or knives, therefore, she can’t even cut up her own food. She has to avoid hot items like the stove or the microwave. She can’t really enjoy her hot cup of coffee she loves because it can’t be hot, it has to be lukewarm. She can no longer take baths, and showers have to be monitored. She is essentially monitored 24/7. The number one injury during seizures is head injuries. Since she was actually given this diagnosis we have been adding up all the things that have happened to her over the years and it is only by the grace of God that she has not been seriously injured because we are now convinced she has had this for years.
If you have seen Madison lately, you will have noticed that she is wearing a special type of glasses. These glasses have polarized “blue lenses” to help with photo paroxysmal response. Different types of lights can trigger a seizure. It can even be a combination of lights. It may be that two lights separately have no effect on her but together could cause a seizure. Her doctor has said that to achieve any kind of independence and to help protect her from injury, she needs a service dog. These dogs can detect the onset of seizures sometimes as early as 30 minutes, which would allow her time to get to safety. These dogs are amazing. They are able to detect the different types of seizures and can let Madison know if this is about to happen immediately or she has time to put on protection to keep from getting hurt. These dogs are able to detect stress and dehydration and have specific alerts that are given. Due to Madison’s type of epilepsy, her dog needs to also act as a guide dog in the event he senses a seizure and alerts her to close her eyes, the dog will lead her to safety. The dogs are also trained to alert the parent/caregiver of the oncoming seizure or if the person is down. Madison is having four different types of of seizures including the type that used to be known as a “grand mal”. These are the most serious of which she has been having during the night when she is asleep. This has the potential for becoming life threatening. The dog will alert the family to wake up. When Madison has one of these seizures, she loses consciousness and when she wakes up her whole body is sore and she sometimes bites the inside of her mouth. She has no memory of what happened.
We have found a dog for Madison that will be ready in six weeks if we can raise the money. The dog has been in training for the last two and a half years. Because of Madison’s particular form of epilepsy, she has been given a priority status. Madison will be required to train with this dog for three weeks straight. The dog is ten hours from us which means three weeks in a hotel. Given the length and sophisticated nature of the training, the cost of the dog is quite overwhelming. The initial investment to cover the cost of the dog, insurance, training for Madison and ongoing care is substantial and estimated to be around $75,000.
This is where your help is needed. Any contribution you can make will be greatly appreciated. I’m also asking for your prayers and knowing so many of you as I do, if you say you will pray for her, I know you will.
I’m including a link to the Epilepsy Foundation to provide you with more information to better help you understand her condition and why she needs this dog. Thank you for your help.
https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-epilepsy-syndromes/epilepsy-eyelid-myoclonias-jeavon-syndrome
https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/staying-safe/seizure-dogs
When her mom was pregnant with Madison she was required to stay on complete bed rest for approximately four months to prevent Madison from being born premature. She was in a hurry to get into this world and has been in high gear ever since her arrival. She talked early, walked early and from the moment she could hold an object in her hands, it was a ball. She excels at everything she attempts. She has been a straight “A” student until this year despite having Dysgraphia and Dyslexia. She obtained a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do by the age of nine. She played softball for a while but her love for basketball has won out as her sport of choice. The first letters she learned to recognize were E-G-G because she had an allergy to this little substance. No matter what challenges life has thrown in her path during her short life, she has hit them “head on”. She never meets a stranger and has more friends than I can count. She is quick with a compliment and always has a smile. When she was little she had a saying “This is the best day of my life”. I hope she will be able say that again.
We know God never gives us more than we can handle and I have no doubt she will come through this and be an example to others. She needs your help for this next challenge she is facing. Last year she was diagnosed with Jeavon’s Syndrome. This is a very rare form of Epilepsy. Her life has literally been turned upside down. She has gone from looking forward to learning how to drive to not being able to even walk on the beach without wearing a life jacket. She is not allowed to use sharp objects such as scissors or knives, therefore, she can’t even cut up her own food. She has to avoid hot items like the stove or the microwave. She can’t really enjoy her hot cup of coffee she loves because it can’t be hot, it has to be lukewarm. She can no longer take baths, and showers have to be monitored. She is essentially monitored 24/7. The number one injury during seizures is head injuries. Since she was actually given this diagnosis we have been adding up all the things that have happened to her over the years and it is only by the grace of God that she has not been seriously injured because we are now convinced she has had this for years.
If you have seen Madison lately, you will have noticed that she is wearing a special type of glasses. These glasses have polarized “blue lenses” to help with photo paroxysmal response. Different types of lights can trigger a seizure. It can even be a combination of lights. It may be that two lights separately have no effect on her but together could cause a seizure. Her doctor has said that to achieve any kind of independence and to help protect her from injury, she needs a service dog. These dogs can detect the onset of seizures sometimes as early as 30 minutes, which would allow her time to get to safety. These dogs are amazing. They are able to detect the different types of seizures and can let Madison know if this is about to happen immediately or she has time to put on protection to keep from getting hurt. These dogs are able to detect stress and dehydration and have specific alerts that are given. Due to Madison’s type of epilepsy, her dog needs to also act as a guide dog in the event he senses a seizure and alerts her to close her eyes, the dog will lead her to safety. The dogs are also trained to alert the parent/caregiver of the oncoming seizure or if the person is down. Madison is having four different types of of seizures including the type that used to be known as a “grand mal”. These are the most serious of which she has been having during the night when she is asleep. This has the potential for becoming life threatening. The dog will alert the family to wake up. When Madison has one of these seizures, she loses consciousness and when she wakes up her whole body is sore and she sometimes bites the inside of her mouth. She has no memory of what happened.
We have found a dog for Madison that will be ready in six weeks if we can raise the money. The dog has been in training for the last two and a half years. Because of Madison’s particular form of epilepsy, she has been given a priority status. Madison will be required to train with this dog for three weeks straight. The dog is ten hours from us which means three weeks in a hotel. Given the length and sophisticated nature of the training, the cost of the dog is quite overwhelming. The initial investment to cover the cost of the dog, insurance, training for Madison and ongoing care is substantial and estimated to be around $75,000.
This is where your help is needed. Any contribution you can make will be greatly appreciated. I’m also asking for your prayers and knowing so many of you as I do, if you say you will pray for her, I know you will.
I’m including a link to the Epilepsy Foundation to provide you with more information to better help you understand her condition and why she needs this dog. Thank you for your help.
https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-epilepsy-syndromes/epilepsy-eyelid-myoclonias-jeavon-syndrome
https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/staying-safe/seizure-dogs
Organizer
Denise Roy
Organizer
Locust Fork, AL
