Donate for Grace's Service Dog and Care

*Update below....

Hi friends! I am raising money for my friend Julie's daughter, Grace. Grace has recently been diagnosed with Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures at the age of 18. This is to fund anti-seizure meds, treatment, and to help Grace get a service dog who will be able to help her when it senses a seizure coming on.

How I Know Julie

When my brother was born in 1981, he was hospitalized at Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis to receive a life-saving operation to be given his father's kidney at the age of 6 months. At the time this was ground-breaking. My mom Debbie stayed at the hospital with PJ. It was then that she met Julie, who at the time was a young girl hospitalized in a room close to PJ.

My mom loved Julie and Julie loved us. We stayed in and out of touch over the years, even after PJ's untimely death at 4 years of age. Julie took me to a concert when I was 13. When my mom passed away in 2012, I reached out and got back in touch with Julie.

Since we have been reacquainted, I've grown increasingly impressed with Julie and her kids. Julie loved kids so much she decided to become a nanny and she has twins, Grace and Jake, who she raises as a single parent.

Grace

Grace had dreams of going into law enforcement but those dreams have been paused since she started abruptly having seizures. Her first one was in November 2023, and she continued to have them until she had multiple seizures in one day on June 11, 2024. All of this has been very scary for Grace, Jake, and Julie. Below is a pic of the twins embracing after Grace's seizure attack on June 11.

They have a tough road ahead with medical needs to include an EpiMonitor, medications, tests, and they are hoping for a service dog to give Grace some stability and security. She loves dogs.

Grace with her pup Zoey.

Julie, a proud, strong single mom, will be out of work soon. She worries at night about feeding her family and of the looming medical needs. She authorized me to set this GoFundMe up for Grace, since she knows it's not about her pride and rather how to help Grace the best.

100% of this will go to the family to help Grace. Please consider helping or sharing to spread awareness.

Thank you!

**Update from Grace's Mom: Since my amazing friend Heather so graciously started this GoFundMe account for my daughter Grace, she has once again had a serious health issue come out of nowhere. She was nauseous and I thought it was a little stomach bug. It quickly progressed to where she couldn't even walk without great assistance. She then got to where she wasn't making sense. I immediately took her to the ER where they did blood work. Not long after the ER doctor took me aside and informed me that Grace was in acute liver failure! Her liver function levels were astronomically high. Normal levels are supposed to be around the 34-55 range but her levels were 4,217!! The Dr told me they were immediately admitting her to the ICU. Once in the ICU they informed me that she would probably need a liver transplant and the transplant coordinator was currently on the way! I don't think I have ever been so scared then I was at that moment! Her liver function levels were being taken every 4 hours and her levels continued rising, now at 5,343! They seemed to be doing every test under the sun to find a cause over the next few days while still in the ICU, adding IVs daily and I believe she had 5 at one point. After nearly a week in the ICU, having test after test, her name put on the UNOS transplant list, she remained, for the most part, mentally unaware of what was happening to her. The hospital and the medical staff were amazing!! Her liver function levels were finally down enough, she was becoming cognizant enough of herself and new situation to where she was able to be placed in a regular hospital room. Thankfully, several days later Grace was deemed well enough that I could take her home. She now has near weekly blood tests to assess her liver function levels. She's by no means out of the woods with her liver function and the possibility of a transplant still looms over her head. The only reasonable cause for her newest health crisis the Dr's say is most likely from one of her 2 anti-seizure medications. That medication has been changed and we can only hope and pray that she continues to improve.

I sadly lost my job during this time and although I'm currently looking, she's unable to drive because she must be seizure free for a minimum of 6 months before a Dr will consider a letter giving her permission to drive so she can petition to do so.

Finally I wanted to take this time to say a sincere and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, share and/or donate to Grace's GoFundMe. I can't begin to tell you what it has all meant to Grace, her twin brother Jake and myself. I apologize for the time it took to update everyone and appreciate your patience, support, understanding and generosity!

Thanks you from the bottom of our hearts!