Help Abigail Gain Independence With a Service Dog

In 2021, Abigail was 9 years old when her life changed dramatically. She suffered a traumatic brain injury after being attacked by a group of teenage boys in her neighborhood and was unable to remember the incident. In the months and years that followed, she began experiencing as many as 30–50 fainting episodes a day. She was incredibly sensitive to lights, noises, and crowds. She couldn't attend school normally. Leaving the house became incredibly difficult. And for far too long, we struggled to get her the medical care she needed because her episodes were believed to be psychogenic rather than neurological.

Today, at 15, Abigail finally has better answers and a treatment plan that is beginning to control her seizures. But getting the seizures under better control hasn't magically given her back everything she lost.

Between epilepsy, PTSD, and significant sensitivity to light and crowded environments, ordinary teenage things—going to school, walking through a busy store, attending an event, or simply being somewhere without an adult constantly watching over her—can require an enormous amount of planning and support.

We want to give some of that independence back to her.

That's why we're working to provide Abigail with a professionally trained service dog.

Her dog will be trained to help her stay grounded when she becomes overwhelmed, provide deep-pressure support, create space for her in crowded environments, respond appropriately when she has a seizure, and alert or seek help when needed. Just as importantly, Abigail will train alongside her dog, learning to work together as a team.

We've found a trainer we trust, through someone in our own family who is herself a disabled service-dog handler and has worked with this trainer for her own service dog. We are purchasing Abigail's puppy ourselves. What we're asking for help with is the much larger expense of turning that puppy into a safe, reliable working service dog.

For the first year, Abigail's dog will live with the trainer while receiving intensive training, at a cost of approximately $1,500 per month, or $18,000 for the year. Abigail will be directly involved throughout that process so that this isn't simply a trained dog handed to her at the end—they will learn how to work together in private and group training sessions.

We're also applying for grants and contributing as much as we can ourselves. We're asking our community to help us bridge the rest.

Our goal isn't to make sure Abigail always has someone watching her. It's to help her reach a point where she doesn't need someone watching her all the time.

A service dog can't undo what happened to her, cure epilepsy, or erase PTSD. But the right dog can give her another layer of safety, help her regulate when the world becomes overwhelming, and make it possible for her to navigate more of that world independently.

If you're able to donate, every contribution helps pay for the months of specialized training ahead. If you aren't able to donate, sharing Abigail's story is just as appreciated.

Abigail is also becoming passionate about epilepsy advocacy, and she plans to be involved in sharing this journey herself. We hope you'll follow along as she and her puppy meet, train, grow, and eventually become a working team.

Thank you for helping Abigail build a bigger, safer, more independent life.