
Help me get my service dog!!
Donation protected
Hi!! My name is Maggie and I am a 16 year old girl with Tourette syndrome and Coprolalia. While I’ve always displayed signs of Tourette’s from a young age, my tics were far less severe; it was when I developed “AMPS” and “CRPS” (the same condition that is shown in the documentary take care of Maya) at the age of 12 that my Tourette’s developed into full blown Coprolalia. AMPS and CRPS are two of the most painful chronic pain conditions that a person can have and are nicknamed the “suicide diseases” in the medical world because unfortunately most people with this condition end up taking there own lives because it is so painful and there is limited treatment. Not even the strongest pain medications can help the pain from these conditions. Through months and months of intense physical therapy at CHOP (children’s hospital of Philadelphia) and “fighting pain with pain” I was able to get my AMPS and CRPS into remission. Those of us who survive the program refer to it as “walking through fire” or “walking through hell”. While I survived “walking through hell” the trauma and unbearable pain that I endured was the catalyst that triggered both my motor and verbal tics to the level they are at today. Coprolalia is the symptom of Tourette syndrome that makes you say obscenities and curse words. Coprolalia only affects 1 In 10 people with Tourette’s. I am a very kind and loving person but because of my tics most people are to scared, confused, angry, hateful, etc, to come and get to know the real me. It makes me feel like a monster. Every day I am mocked, stared at, and alienated from society by adults and children alike. In school I am bullied and harassed on a daily basis and it makes me feel very alone. I have tried many treatments for my Tourette’s including but not limited to C-BIT therapy, Talk therapy, CBT therapy, medications and more which has been very intensive and exhausting for me in my day to day life. Nothing is giving me the quality of life that I know I can have and deserve. Service dogs have been known to greatly improve the quality of life for many people with disability’s including people with Tourette syndrome. I have needed a service dog for many years but with them costing upwards of 10,000 dollars it always seemed so far out of my reach. That is until I found Glad Wags Tulsa OK service dogs, which is a program that trains service dogs for people with Tourette syndrome. My service dog will be trained to help me with things in my every day life such as deep pressure therapy, alerts (this is when my dog will nudge me with her nose or something similar to this to bring my attention to my tics so I can focus on what triggers them and work on my C-BIT tactics), and interruptions (this is when my dog will do something to interrupt a tic if it is affecting my day to day life to much), but mainly this dog is going to help me feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin. When I go out in public I am so scared about what people are going to say and think, This dog will be a symbol to the world that I have a disability and she will help me to go through life much more comfortably. I need the money to cover the cost of the program which is 10,000 dollars. Anything at all helps. Thank you all so much!!
Organizer and beneficiary

Maggie Abcug
Organizer
Ridge, NY
Meghan Abcug
Beneficiary