Chelsea's POTS Service Dog

My name is Chelsea Burkhart, and last March, after experiencing syptoms for 6 months, I was finally diagonosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). POTS has left me with increasingly debilitating symptoms, including: nausea, pain in the arms and legs, trouble focusing, and most dramatically, syncope (losing consciousness). I experience these symptoms on a daily basis, and lose consciousness anywhere from 5-20 time a day.
Despite having amazing friends and family to support and assist me, I have been struggling with my new disabled lifestyle, as it has become increasingly difficult, and even scary to do things alone. The simplest things I had taken for granted, such as cleaning up, bending over, walking to class, have proved to be my biggest challenges. Bending over and standing up often triggers my symptoms, and causes me to pass out. And despite my love for my favorite city in the world, Washington, D.C., where I have been given the change to study... it has now become a place I fear, as I am scared to move through the city alone, knowing that I will lose consciousness alone on the streets.
However, after months and months of searching and applying for a service dog, I have finally been approved, and found the perfect animal for me. This dog, a golden retriever/lab mix, will become my new best friend, and my returned freedom. With the help of an amazing service dog, I will be able to move through my favorite city again, and be assisted with my day to day life. This beautiful dog will be able to retrieve my medications and water for me (as hydration is extremely important with my new illness), pick things up for me from the floor, open doors for me when I am feeling especially weak, help me balance when I am feeling faint, and most importnatly react to my fainting spells. While I am unconcious, the dog will be trained to first, make sure I am safe from immediate harm (cars or attackers). Secondly, the dog will be trained to lift my legs to wake me up faster, and sit and help me until I wake up again.
Althought it seems so small, having a service animal would be able to provide me with the one thing I have missed the most, since my health has gone: my independence.
With the help of a service dog, the city I study in, the city I love.. I will be able to call home again, instead of being afraid to leave my dorm room.
Any donation means more to me than I can even describe. And if you cannot donate, and can share this, it would just mean just as much because awareness is so important in this daily fight. Every donation made will help pay for the training, veterinary care, and supplies for the service dog.
Thank you all for your continuing love and support. It's time to get my independence back from POTS.