Hello! For all my life, I’ve struggled greatly with chronic illnesses and my physical health. In 2020, I was diagnosed with type 1 Narcolepsy + cataplexy, and was told my condition would only become more challenging and limiting over time. Five years later, unfortunately, my neurological disorder greatly impacts my day to day. Even with medical treatments, I am not able to function well. After reaching a point of desperation, I have decided to move forward with getting a service dog to help aid my complex and frustrating disability.

EXPENSES: 

Training $2,000/month for 12-24 months That's $24,000 to $48,000 

Dog Purchase: $6,000

Ongoing Costs: Pet insurance Veterinary care, Special food

UNDERSTANDING NARCOLEPSY + CATAPLEXY

Narcolepsy is a neurological condition that sends abnormal signals to the brain. Symptoms of my narcolepsy include: excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia/fragmented sleep,

hallucinations, sleep paralysis and brain fog/memory issues, to name a few. Cataplexy is loss of muscular control triggered by strong emotional stimuli & stress. This leads to paralysis episodes resulting in me not being able to move or support myself physically. I still can hear everything going on around me, but I am unable to respond. It is scary for me and those around me. Though there are medications to help, they do not guarantee me a “normal” day-to-day life. Some days are better than others, but the hard days outweigh the good. The next best thing for me to do is equip myself with a service dog.

HOW A SERVICE DOG CAN HELP

There are many benefits to having a narcolepsy service dog. They are trained to smell the chemical changes within my body before a cataplexy attack takes place and will alert me to it. They also can help lower me to the ground safely, and sit with me through the episode until it subsides. Having a service dog will increase my ability to live independently, be more mobile, and lessen the anxiety of narcolepsy crashes in public. It takes my invisible illness and makes it visible.