Hi my name is River-Magpie Zender ! My medical journey has been a very long one starting in childhood. I have had lung, skin, & chronic-pain problems, and issues with syncope, depression, and anxiety since at least my pre-teen years. Since becoming an adult I have fought hard to get diagnosed with multiple mental health issues and physical disabilities as my health has continued to decrease intensely, including POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), dissociation disorders, autism spectrum disorder, fibromyalgia, and PNES (Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures) as well as issues with my asthma I’ve had my whole life worsening after contracting COVID in 2020.

I frequently (sometimes monthly or, with increasing stress, to multiple times a week or even day) pass out &/or seize from daily tasks such as showering, cooking/eating, shopping, standing, and doing possibly anxiety inducing tasks like socializing, homework, going to work/school. I am in almost constant chronic pain from my fibro and other skin and health issues.

I work hard to maintain multiple jobs I have had for many years, feed myself, continue healthy long term relationships and seek any medical care and diagnosis I need, and finish my 3 year fisheries degree at BTC. Even though I have accomplished a lot, I am extremely dependent on my family, friends, and loves to accomplish these things, and it is nearly impossible for me to be independent. Since getting my POTS dx in 2021, and the many dx that followed, I have known that needing a service dog will only increase as my health declines.

Services dogs are one of the top recommended therapeutic and medicinal strategies for patients with POTS, autism, seizures, and dissociative issues, which leads me to firmly believe this is the next step for me to be able to gain independence, a sense of normalcy, and maintain my ability to leave my house, have jobs, a social life, and continue onto further education as I plan to.

I realistically understand that having a service dog is more than just having medical help and requires daily feeding, exercise, and care, and am ready to do all of those things and more to gain this independence. I grew up on a farm and have had animals my whole life and understand that this is a pet as well as an important medical tool!

I would really appreciate literally any support in my journey ! My partners and family are going to help me find a puppy (a retriever based on those breeds being the best for my present issues) and we are most likely going to train it independently or with the help of a smaller (and maybe hopefully cheaper ) trainer or program. Thank you so much. I have taken 4 years to thoroughly assess if this is the right path for me, and it truely is a need not a want. I really appreciate any community support I can get through this process, I will never be able to thank y’all enough ❤️‍

***These funds will go ONLY to anything directly having to do with acquiring, training, and maintaining my getting a service dog to specifically train in tasks that will assist with my diagnoses and daily struggles. Things like getting a puppy from a reputable breeder, daily fees like food, toys, and other things, training it myself / by my partner or getting it into a program, and medical fees for the dogs first 2 years of life. I have extremely realistic financial expectations that if I get help for these first couple years of its life that I will be able to care for it for the rest of its life, and be able to replicate the process myself again if need be. ***