Halle's Service Dog

About Me:

    Hi, my name is Halle Pierce. I am a 16-year-old student at North Hall High School. I love cheer, school, people, and cows! I struggle with a chronic illness called POTS, which can sometimes make life a little challenging. My journey with this condition began in October 2020, and I was finally diagnosed in September 2021. Unfortunately, my POTS has progressively gotten worse, and it has taken away a large part of who I am. Those who know me are well aware that I am independent, free-spirited, and adventurous. (And probably the loudest person in the room). 

 
How POTS Affects Me: 

      It's hard to do and be all the things when I have to depend so heavily on others. The unpredictability of my condition makes going places difficult. (That's extra hard because I've had FOMO since birth). Even when I feel okay, every day is a fight. The battle consists of keeping track of macro nutrition, drinking a crazy amount of water, and never skipping a snack or meal. POTS is sensitive and doesn't like change.

       It is also invisible. POTS has made me feel very disconnected from people because it is hard to understand. It is mentally draining to have to fight so hard and can feel so hopeless at times. My condition has caused a lot of social anxiety and fear for the future. The most difficult thing to accept is that this illness is chronic, meaning it’s here to stay. While my life can look different from others my age, it is the life I have been given. And life is, without a shadow of a doubt, a gift. I’ve let POTS steal a lot of my joy and what I like to call “sparkle,” but I’m taking it all back. 

 
Service Dog: 

     Open Range Pups in Colorado that trains service dogs. Their service dogs have ORA Clarity Family Canine Certificates and earn AKC Canine Good Citizen. This dog would provide mobility support (counterbalance when I feel dizzy) and would be trained in medical alert and response. This means he/she will be able to detect a high heart rate and unstable blood pressure. They will then will alert me, letting me know that I need to get to a safe place and lie down. The dog will then respond to the situation. If I pass out while I am alone, the dog will be able to do things like run, press a button, and then come back to assist me. The system calls five numbers and puts them on speakerphone to talk to me. This would allow me to be independent and provide security and assistance while doing what I love. Together, we would be a team. 

         The cost of a service dog is high, and the wait is long. To get a service dog, I need to fundraise $37,740. Service dogs are so expensive because of the extensive amount of training they receive. The Open Range Pups program is taught in 3 phases. Phase one is about 4 months of work and is $10,240. Phase two is another 4 months and costs $11,520. The duration of phase three is dependent on the task work required. It is $12,480. There is also a puppy price of about $3,500.


More about POTS:

    POTS is a form of dysautonomia - a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. This part of the body regulates functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome looks different for everyone. For me, POTS has been lots and lots of fainting. Specific triggers like standing, lack of fluid, irregular sleep, adrenaline, heat, or prolonged sitting can cause my blood pressure to spike or drop and my heart rate to increase dramatically. This makes me nauseous, fatigued, and often leads to syncope (fainting).  My face turns white, and my lips become blue. This doesn’t happen every day, and the severity of my POTS varies from month to month.

     Some weeks, I pass out nearly every day, while others might happen only once. When I am sick, simple tasks are difficult, and things like taking a shower or brushing my teeth are victories. I take lots of naps and don’t get much accomplished.  School, cheer, and socializing are near impossible. However, some days I feel like a typical, healthy teenager. 

     On a more day-to-day basis, I am often dizzy, forgetful, and always hot. I experience stomach aches, headaches, brain fog, and chest pain. And I am tired ALOT. To me, the worst part of POTS is how unpredictable it is. I can feel so great, and then pass out a few minutes later. Orthostatic intolerance is complicated, but I have had great doctors help me adjust my diet, routine, and medicine. However, this condition is chronic and incurable, meaning I might have to live with it for a while. 


Faith: 

      God has been so extremely good to me. He has shown me great compassion and provided me with amazing friends and family. Faith has not been easy for me these last couple of years, but the Lord has stood firm by my side through the storm. 

      I never lost the belief that my Lord was God, but I couldn’t understand why the Father was allowing me to suffer. I was angry and scared and confused and hurt. I felt abandoned, and that pain led me to ask hard questions. It weaned me from the world and drove me to the Lord. 

     POTS taught me that life is beautiful, and life is hard. Stephen Colbert puts it best. He says that it is a gift to exist, and with existing comes suffering. He goes on to say that when you are grateful for life, you have to be grateful for all of it. Colbert points out that we gain understanding of what it is to be human and the losses of others through our own pain. It helps us connect with people and love more deeply. 


“Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4