Help Jilllian Get Her Service Dog

Hi! For those of you who don’t know, I’m Jillian Steele. I’m 20 years old. When I was 18, I started getting sick with GI and joint issues. After years of no answer, medical gaslighting, and severe PTSD we’ve finally started to get some answers. I’ve been diagnosed with Heds (hypermobile Elhers Danlos syndrome), gastroparisis (my stomach is paralyzed) and mast cell activation syndrome. Heds causes many other physicall issues. For example, high heart rate, neuropathy and severe joint pain causing me to be wheelchair-bound for most of the time when I am not home.

 

I’ve been in and out of the hospital since November 2020. I have spent over 5 months in hospital in the last year. After a couple of hospital stays due to malnutrition, I had major surgery to get feeding tubes placed in my abdomen to get the nutrition I need. Unfortunately, that has come with complications of its own. I am scheduled to have a follow-up surgery on the tubes at the end of March.

 

Several of my doctors have recommended that I get a service dog. This is no easy task. However, after much research, we believe a service dog would be super beneficial to me. Both with mobility work (guiding, picking stuff up, turning on and off lights, deep pressure therapy, etc.) and helping with my PTSD. My family, my Drs, and my physiatrist all agree this is a great next step.

 

So this is when y’all come in! Getting a survival dog is no small task. They take work and cost lots and lots of money. We have put down a deposit on a dog that will be fully trained for what I need. Many people have been asking for a way to help along this journey. So we’ve set up this go fund me to raise half of the money to be able to get my dog! Any little bit helps! Please don’t feel obligated to donate but if you feel led to, it will be very very appreciated!

 

I know God is in complete control of my life and my illness!! He will complete His work through me!!! I hope y’all have a fantastic day! God bless!!