Help Alana & Navi Attend Service Dog Training!
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Alana and I'm 19 years old. My service dog in training is a one and a half-year-old standard poodle named Navi!
Within the past two years, I have become disabled. I was diagnosed with PTSD as a child and attended years of therapy. In early 2019, I received an updated and more accurate diagnosis of Complex PTSD. My symptoms became more severe and debilitating over the years and despite attending regular therapy, were not improving. It was at the beginning of the year of 2019 that I began training Navi as a service dog for PTSD with the support of my therapist. It was several months later that I was hit with a curveball
In May 2019, I suddenly began to have seizures. They would come out of the blue and the worst ones could last for hours even with emergency care. They render me unconscious much of the time and when I am not unconscious during them, I am unable to speak, react, move, or even keep myself from hitting my head/ limbs and getting hurt. After several months of frequent emergency room visits and many tests, my doctors told me that these seizures are not epilepsy and are directly connected to my PTSD.
Before my seizures, I was an avid rollerskater. I went to skateparks, rinks, and skated for miles outside. I also worked as a skating carhop at Sonic. Never in my life did I expect to have my doctors tell me that for my safety, I could no longer rollerskate or work, especially when I was so young. Due to the frequency and unpredictability of my seizures, returning to school at this time was also no longer an option for me. I was devastated. I had worked really hard to graduate early from high school and get myself to college. I took both college courses and high school courses for two years and even took classes during the summers so I could reach my goal of having my associate degree at 19 and my bachelor's at 21. I had chosen a degree in video game design that I loved and I want so badly to finish it.
In addition to my complex PTSD and seizures, I was also recently diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a chronic (not curable) disorder of the autonomic nervous system that causes many debilitating symptoms. The combination of my seizures and POTS has been tough to deal with, and it has taken me a while to accept the permanence of these disabilities. It's shocking to have your life turn upside down in a year. But! I'm not a quitter! With Navi by my side, I fully believe I can finish my degree. I want to be able to return to school in a year but to do this, I need Navi to be fully trained to handle all kinds of situations in public.
My doctors believe that I could benefit greatly from having a fully task-trained service dog in addition to my therapy to help lessen symptoms of my PTSD, and in turn, have a positive effect in helping me manage my seizures. I have been owner training Navi by myself to the best of my ability for the past year but I simply lack the experience to go further with her training. Without an income, I am unable to afford a trainer on my own, which is why I've made this campaign to fundraise for Navi and me to join 4 Paws 2 Freedom's training program.
4 Paws 2 Freedom is a local program that offers a 9-month long course with weekly classes to help those with disabling PTSD train their own service dogs and live a better quality of life. This course is $2500 and includes 36 sessions as well as homework so you can train your dog on your own between classes. This is an amazing opportunity for Navi and me to grow as a team with the direct guidance of a trainer to not only help train Navi but myself as well.
The program currently only has 15 spots available and the class begins in about 2 months. Donations of any amount, no matter how small is appreciated more than you know! Even if you can't donate, please share. It would mean the world to me to join this program with Navi so I can finally have the independence to go back to school and get my degree. For those who donate $50 or more, I will draw you a headshot of your pet, or if you don't have any pets, an animal of your choice!
In May 2019, I suddenly began to have seizures. They would come out of the blue and the worst ones could last for hours even with emergency care. They render me unconscious much of the time and when I am not unconscious during them, I am unable to speak, react, move, or even keep myself from hitting my head/ limbs and getting hurt. After several months of frequent emergency room visits and many tests, my doctors told me that these seizures are not epilepsy and are directly connected to my PTSD.
Before my seizures, I was an avid rollerskater. I went to skateparks, rinks, and skated for miles outside. I also worked as a skating carhop at Sonic. Never in my life did I expect to have my doctors tell me that for my safety, I could no longer rollerskate or work, especially when I was so young. Due to the frequency and unpredictability of my seizures, returning to school at this time was also no longer an option for me. I was devastated. I had worked really hard to graduate early from high school and get myself to college. I took both college courses and high school courses for two years and even took classes during the summers so I could reach my goal of having my associate degree at 19 and my bachelor's at 21. I had chosen a degree in video game design that I loved and I want so badly to finish it.
In addition to my complex PTSD and seizures, I was also recently diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a chronic (not curable) disorder of the autonomic nervous system that causes many debilitating symptoms. The combination of my seizures and POTS has been tough to deal with, and it has taken me a while to accept the permanence of these disabilities. It's shocking to have your life turn upside down in a year. But! I'm not a quitter! With Navi by my side, I fully believe I can finish my degree. I want to be able to return to school in a year but to do this, I need Navi to be fully trained to handle all kinds of situations in public.
My doctors believe that I could benefit greatly from having a fully task-trained service dog in addition to my therapy to help lessen symptoms of my PTSD, and in turn, have a positive effect in helping me manage my seizures. I have been owner training Navi by myself to the best of my ability for the past year but I simply lack the experience to go further with her training. Without an income, I am unable to afford a trainer on my own, which is why I've made this campaign to fundraise for Navi and me to join 4 Paws 2 Freedom's training program.
4 Paws 2 Freedom is a local program that offers a 9-month long course with weekly classes to help those with disabling PTSD train their own service dogs and live a better quality of life. This course is $2500 and includes 36 sessions as well as homework so you can train your dog on your own between classes. This is an amazing opportunity for Navi and me to grow as a team with the direct guidance of a trainer to not only help train Navi but myself as well.
The program currently only has 15 spots available and the class begins in about 2 months. Donations of any amount, no matter how small is appreciated more than you know! Even if you can't donate, please share. It would mean the world to me to join this program with Navi so I can finally have the independence to go back to school and get my degree. For those who donate $50 or more, I will draw you a headshot of your pet, or if you don't have any pets, an animal of your choice!
Organizer
Alana Ellis
Organizer
Roseville, CA