# Help 14-Year-Old Emi Get a Life-Saving Seizure & Medical Service Dog

## Story

When Emi was just 8 months old, she suffered her very first seizure, marking the start of a long, terrifying medical battle. Today, Emi is 14 years old and has spent almost her entire life fighting a severe, uncontrolled seizure disorder alongside complex medical challenges.

Despite everything her body goes through, Emi is a powerhouse of strength, resilience, and faith. She is a dedicated A/B honor roll student, works hard in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), and is heavily active in her church community as a youth leader. Emi loves serving others, staying active, and excelling in school, but living with unpredictable, life-threatening medical conditions makes everyday life a constant tightrope walk.

Over the past 13 years, we have tried every medical avenue to help Emi:

* Medications: Emi has maxed out 9 different seizure medications, 3 of which caused severe allergic reactions. Her seizures remain completely drug-resistant.

* Brain Surgery: She underwent brain surgery in hopes of stopping the seizures, but, devastatingly, it provided no relief.

* Complex Diagnoses: On top of her seizures, Emi was recently diagnosed with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and severe migraines.

Because Emi’s seizures occur without any warning, danger is a constant presence. Sudden drops in blood pressure from POTS, combined with sudden seizures, make simple, everyday activities high-risk. Over the years, we have lost count of the middle-of-the-night emergency room visits and intensive care stays.

Recently, we lived through every parent's worst nightmare: Emi suffered a seizure while in the water and technically drowned. She was rushed to the hospital and spent 8 excruciating days in the hospital fighting for her life.

Emi refuses to let her health define her or hold her back from leading her youth group, pursuing her studies, or training. But to keep doing what she loves safely, she urgently needs a continuous, active layer of protection. That is why we are reaching out to our community to help bring a specially trained Seizure & Medical Alert Service Dog into Emi's life.

### How a Service Dog Will Save Emi's Life

Because medication and surgery have not been able to control Emi's conditions, a dedicated service dog will serve as a crucial line of defense:

* Seizure Response & Emergency Alerts: A service dog can immediately signal family members or trigger an emergency alert button the moment a seizure starts, ensuring help arrives instantly.

* POTS & Mobility Support: Trained to assist with POTS symptoms and hypermobility, the dog can help stabilize Emi during sudden dizzy spells, cushion falls, and position her safely to protect her joints and keep her airway clear.

* Independence for a Busy Teen: Whether she is at church leading youth, at school maintaining her grades, or practicing MMA, having a loyal, highly trained service dog by her side will give Emi the freedom and safety she deserves.

### How Your Support Helps

Extensively raising, socializing, and task-training a multi-purpose medical alert service dog costs tens of thousands of dollars—a critical expense that health insurance does not cover.

Every dollar raised goes directly toward:

1. Service Dog Acquisition & Task Training (specialized seizure response, POTS alert, and public access training).

2. Handler & Team Training (working directly with professional trainers to properly match, bond, and hand off the dog to Emi).

3. Veterinary Care & Equipment needed to support her working dog.

### How You Can Help Emi

* Donate: No contribution is too small. Every dollar directly supports getting Emi the life-saving companion she urgently needs.

* Share: Please share Emi’s link on social media, with your church community, via text, or through email. Spreading her story expands our reach immensely.

* Keep Emi in Your Thoughts & Prayers: Your kind words, prayers, and support mean the world to our family as we navigate this journey.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to read Emi's story and helping us protect our girl.