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Help Kim Keep her Independence as Naiya Prepares for Retirement!

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Fifteen years ago, I had my entire world flipped upside down in a blink of an eye. I suddenly found myself on life-support. After about a month of numerous tests, misdiagnosis, and way too many drugs, doctors finally figured out I had a fistula on the right side of my brain and massive blood pooling on the brain stem. With a low survival rate, I made it through brain surgery but also experienced a stroke on the brainstem causing completely different damage to the right and left sides of my body. I had lost an entire month of my life and have spent the past 15 years trying to get as much of it back as possible. I started out as a quadriplegic. Years of intensive, conventional, and alternative treatments and therapies have allowed me to be somewhat independent again. I am able to breath on my own, take a shower, drive myself to appointments, grocery shop, feed myself and work from home with modifications to my environment. Altering my surroundings allows me to keep some of my independence which includes the necessity of assistance from a Service Dog.

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Being a member of the Orlando Dog Training Club back in 2008, I had been training my first Golden Retriever Kira, and assisted with puppy training classes in early 2010. Kira and I were supposed to start competing in Obedience, Agility, and Rally, but in October 2010 everything came to a halt as I was now fighting for my life. Kira being a registered therapy dog was allowed to visit ICU. Although it stressed her out to see me completely paralyzed and not being able to speak, Kira adapted beautifully to the situation. Other patients, their family members, and staff requested her visits as well. There was not much she could do for me at the time, but she touched so many people during the three months visiting the hospital and rehab facility.

Had it not been for the support and knowledge from ODTC and Openheart Rescue, Kira would not have been able to smoothly transition from a Therapy Dog to a Mobility Service Dog. Our competition goals were replaced with a new job and tasks. Kira’s greatest strengths were her adaptability and her ability to catch on so quickly. She had been coined a “demo-dog” by our previous instructors, and at the time, I didn’t really understand what that meant.

I was able to return to work six months after brain surgery, I don’t recommend it. Thanks to the accommodation my employer provided I was able to work full time from home. I was not able to stand or drive at that point but needed to get back to work to start paying off medical bills that had piled up.

It took years to pay down my original medical debt, and I have spent hundreds of thousands on alternative options, traveling to China for stroke treatments and Mexico for cancer treatments. Most of my on-going, life-long medical expenses are not covered under traditional insurance so I have to pay out-of-pocket or go without.

Naiya’s medical expenses have added to the financial stress between her autoimmune thyroiditis the past 4 years and the surgery to remove masses this year. Thank goodness they came back benign.

I spend most of my time working just so I can afford medical expenses and basic necessities like food, housing, utilities, gas, insurance, etc. I’m at the point that I am now stretched too thin and need assistance from others. It is not easy for me to reach out and ask for help, but I have learned over the years I cannot always do it on my own.

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Fast forward… Naiya came about 8 years ago while I was living in NY. I was not having any luck with Service Dog organizations, dog clubs, or trainers up north. So, I resorted to the tight-knit dog community I knew in Florida. With the assistance of Linda Unger, I had picked out Naiya from a reputable breeder I knew, Camille Nasca, in hopes that she would not “wash-out.” I had not trained a puppy before in my current physical condition, and now I was taking on the challenge of training for a completely different purpose. This task was a bit intimidating to say the least due to my physical limitations, and Naiya was no Kira. Naiya was smart and picked up task work so quickly imitating Kira, but she tested you along the way pushing all the buttons to see what she could get away with and with whom. I called her my little bull-in-a-China-shop. Self-awareness was a challenge around others, yet she would stay by my side as I would try to navigate down a couple of stairs with my walker.

At 1 ½ years old, we made our way back down to Florida so she could be fine-tuned and have a proper heel with the assistance of Darren and Maggie Eslinger. Six weeks later, we were evaluated by Bobbie Kurivial and Jerry McCoy and headed back to NY with three CGC titles, three AKC Trick titles, and her PAT (Public Access Test) certification. The friendships and support of my dog community has allowed me to continue to keep my independence, move back to Florida, and live on my own by having a Service Dog partner.

Now that Naiya is starting to age out, I went in search of a new organization. After being on the waitlist with Genesis Assistance Dogs Inc. for over a year, I was informed it could be another 4 years, and that timeline was not going to work for us. So, back to the drawing board, and self-training once again. This time, we will be in an apartment setting which has a whole distinct set of challenges to face.

Hundreds of hours have been spent researching and budgeting trying to prepare as best I can for this new endeavor. Analyzing the most cost-effective places to source items I am anticipating will be required during the 2-year training period. The financial aspect is going to be the most challenging in addition to the mental and physical stressors.

I have exhausted all known resources to help finance this huge expense. I have reached out to numerous organizations, various vendors, and searched Google for possible financial support or grants with no luck. I do not qualify for assistance since I am not a child or veteran, I do not live in certain counties or states, and I do not make $1000/month. I am not able to take out an additional loan from my 401k as I still have two years left of paying back what I borrowed for my medical treatments in Mexico. Daily expenses have gone up astronomically and medical expenses are life-long and never-ending for both Naiya and myself. The cost of a puppy from a reputable breeder has doubled since Naiya came into my life. So, due to the persistent persuasion of others, I am resorting to a GoFundMe page with much hesitation. I realize I cannot do this on my own this time around.

Most folks do not understand what goes into training and supporting a Service Dog the first two years and the huge expense that comes with it. I have been trying to be resourceful and hit sales at Petco or Pet Supplies Plus as a “new customer” to get the extra 35-50% discount, but that was a one-time thing. I created a registry with Amazon and Target, but unfortunately, Chewy does not offer this option. The average Service Dog costs around $50,000 for those two years until they are fully trained which sometimes will be covered by a non-profit organization, if you are lucky enough to get on a waitlist and eventually get approved for a service dog. In addition, hundreds of volunteer hours go into raising and training Service Dogs. This is not a simple task to accomplish, and all those volunteers should be commended for their efforts. But for Naiya and I, this route is not something that will work out for us again, and so commences self-training a service dog puppy this September.

I have decided to take medical leave this fall, so I am not overwhelmed by daily activities, medical appointments/therapy, taking care of Naiya and now bringing a new furball into our little pack for training. It is a lot to take on by myself. I have opted to fly my mom down for four weeks to help with the initial potty training and pack dynamics transition.

I am hoping Naiya will step up and be a big sister and show “Atlas” the ropes, as Kira did for her. Naiya was quick to jump into task-work even without being fully asked. She followed Kira’s lead, but unfortunately, they did not even have a full year together to complete a transition. This time around, I am hoping the teamwork will be smoother and less stressful for all.

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FAQs:

What is a service dog?

What are some Benefits of Mobility Service Dogs?

What are the funds going to be used for?

Estimated Breakdown of Two-Year Expenses:

* Does NOT include Tax, Shipping, or Inflation, Sourced from lowest-cost vendors

The following organizations are where I will be souring particular items throughout the two-year training process:

What are some Benefits of Mobility Service Dogs?

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