A better life for Mila❤
Donation protected
Mila Drigan, a beautiful, smart, loving and energetic, 5 year old little girl whose piercing green eyes and adorable smile captivates everyone who has the pleasure of meeting her.
Mila is the 3rd of 4 children in her family, and her little sister Ella is one of her favorite playmates. She has a very special bond with her big brother, Paetyn, and of course, is also completely adored by her big sister, Ciarra.
Like most other kids, Mila's days are full with school, playing, running, jumping, video games, and all other activities that normal 5 year olds enjoy...almost.
On the outside you'd never know that this innocent, sweet little girl battles life every second she is awake. From anxiety attacks, behavioral issues and fear, to hospital stays, ambulance rides, tests, sharp pokes and feeding tubes, she has gone through hell in her tiny little 5 years of life.
Thankfully, Mila has amazing parents who I have had the honor to call my friends for almost 15 years now. These are two, hard working, loving parents who would go to the end of the Earth if that's what any of their children needed, and that's why when they finally got a diagnosis for Mila, they made it their life's mission to always make sure that Mila had the very best life they could possibly provide her with..and that's exactly what they have always done.
Mila's diagnosis???
Kabuki Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that only affects about 1 in 32,000 births with a huge range of characteristics, some including, intellectual/behavioral disabilities, distinctive facial features, low muscle mass, terrible eye sight, and hearing loss, just to name a few.
Kabuki Syndrome also shares many characteristics of Autism, but because it is so rare, it is not viewed, researched or funded the same as Autism and therefore leaving Mila's parents scrambling to come up with their own game plan for what is best for their daughter.
As Mila has gotten older and is now in Kindergarten, it has become apparent that she is going to need a little bit more, "life help", so to speak. Something that will calm her fears and keep her anchored, both literally and figuratively speaking. Something that keeps her safe, and also makes her feels safe at the same time.
Her Mom contacted all of Mila's Medical Healthcare Professionals and they all agreed that Mila having a service dog would greatly benefit her life in so many ways.
After many, many hours, days, and weeks, of research, phone calls, emails, texts, and more phone calls, her amazing Mom had a beautiful puppy lined up for Mila!
Here's the catch.. Buying a puppy for the purpose of a service dog comes with a price tag that many people wouldn't even believe! The numbers were a very defeating feeling for Mila's family. A $2000 price tag for the puppy and thousands, actually up to tens of thousands, of dollars for training. Crazy right?? Allow me to explain..this dog is being trained to be Mila's shadow, to be one step ahead of her brain at all times. The dog will be trained to keep Mila safe in all aspects of her life when she is not in the presence of her parents. This dog will be trained for Mila's anxiety, how horrible for a 5 year old to even have anxiety. This dog will be Mila's life partner and best friend as she grows up. This dog will allow Mila to have the confidence to be all that she can be. This dog is going to change her life!! And that is worth every penny spent.
Mila's parents are not people who ask for or accept handouts. They believe that working hard is the way to do it, and although I do agree, I also have been shown recently through my own battle of saving my child, that even hard working people deserve help sometimes too. It's ok to ask for help, to accept help and let people help you, and that's exactly why I started this GO Fund Me for Mila and her family. They deserve this. That sweet and innocent 5 year old little girl, Mila, she deserves this.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Her family will be forever grateful and I know they will pay it forward in life because that's just what great people do!
Mila is going to be something wonderful in this world some day, thank you for helping to pave the path in her journey to getting her there!
Mila is the 3rd of 4 children in her family, and her little sister Ella is one of her favorite playmates. She has a very special bond with her big brother, Paetyn, and of course, is also completely adored by her big sister, Ciarra.
Like most other kids, Mila's days are full with school, playing, running, jumping, video games, and all other activities that normal 5 year olds enjoy...almost.
On the outside you'd never know that this innocent, sweet little girl battles life every second she is awake. From anxiety attacks, behavioral issues and fear, to hospital stays, ambulance rides, tests, sharp pokes and feeding tubes, she has gone through hell in her tiny little 5 years of life.
Thankfully, Mila has amazing parents who I have had the honor to call my friends for almost 15 years now. These are two, hard working, loving parents who would go to the end of the Earth if that's what any of their children needed, and that's why when they finally got a diagnosis for Mila, they made it their life's mission to always make sure that Mila had the very best life they could possibly provide her with..and that's exactly what they have always done.
Mila's diagnosis???
Kabuki Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that only affects about 1 in 32,000 births with a huge range of characteristics, some including, intellectual/behavioral disabilities, distinctive facial features, low muscle mass, terrible eye sight, and hearing loss, just to name a few.
Kabuki Syndrome also shares many characteristics of Autism, but because it is so rare, it is not viewed, researched or funded the same as Autism and therefore leaving Mila's parents scrambling to come up with their own game plan for what is best for their daughter.
As Mila has gotten older and is now in Kindergarten, it has become apparent that she is going to need a little bit more, "life help", so to speak. Something that will calm her fears and keep her anchored, both literally and figuratively speaking. Something that keeps her safe, and also makes her feels safe at the same time.
Her Mom contacted all of Mila's Medical Healthcare Professionals and they all agreed that Mila having a service dog would greatly benefit her life in so many ways.
After many, many hours, days, and weeks, of research, phone calls, emails, texts, and more phone calls, her amazing Mom had a beautiful puppy lined up for Mila!
Here's the catch.. Buying a puppy for the purpose of a service dog comes with a price tag that many people wouldn't even believe! The numbers were a very defeating feeling for Mila's family. A $2000 price tag for the puppy and thousands, actually up to tens of thousands, of dollars for training. Crazy right?? Allow me to explain..this dog is being trained to be Mila's shadow, to be one step ahead of her brain at all times. The dog will be trained to keep Mila safe in all aspects of her life when she is not in the presence of her parents. This dog will be trained for Mila's anxiety, how horrible for a 5 year old to even have anxiety. This dog will be Mila's life partner and best friend as she grows up. This dog will allow Mila to have the confidence to be all that she can be. This dog is going to change her life!! And that is worth every penny spent.
Mila's parents are not people who ask for or accept handouts. They believe that working hard is the way to do it, and although I do agree, I also have been shown recently through my own battle of saving my child, that even hard working people deserve help sometimes too. It's ok to ask for help, to accept help and let people help you, and that's exactly why I started this GO Fund Me for Mila and her family. They deserve this. That sweet and innocent 5 year old little girl, Mila, she deserves this.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Her family will be forever grateful and I know they will pay it forward in life because that's just what great people do!
Mila is going to be something wonderful in this world some day, thank you for helping to pave the path in her journey to getting her there!
Organizer and beneficiary
Britten Hepting
Organizer
Moose Jaw, SK
Jamie Drigan
Beneficiary
