I had my first seizure, out of the blue, when I was 20 years old. I was a student at Pepperdine University at the time and I had NO idea what had happened. It had been a normal Thursday night filled with studying and then attending a weekly worship service known as "The Well”. One moment I was singing, and the next moment I was lying on the ground with my friends surrounding me. About 6 months later, after many tests, hospitalizations and seizures, I was officially diagnosed with epilepsy.


My doctors believe I have seizures due to scar tissue on my brain. I had a stroke as a young baby, causing brain damage, which led to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) at 2 years old. Luckily for me, my case is very mild! Years of physical therapy and a few surgeries have left my CP pretty hidden. I grew up playing soccer and keeping-up with my twin brother, so really CP had nothing on me. Until the seizures started.


I have complex-partial seizures with secondary generalized seizures. This means that most of my seizures are the kind you see portrayed in the media, with loss of consciousness and convulsions. 4 years after my first seizure, my seizures have proven to be much more difficult to control than I originally anticipated. Medication alone is not working, so I am currently looking into surgical options to try and regain some control. #notlosinghope


I am SO excited to be on this journey of getting a seizure-alert dog. What does a seizure-alert dog do? These dogs are incredible. They are trained to display alert behaviors up to an hour before a seizure is imminent! My dog would also remain close to me during a seizure to protect me from injuries and will be trained to fetch an alert device or medication. For me, having a seizure-alert dog will give me a greater sense of independence and will significantly reduce the amount of fear I have of being out in public on my own. In other words, having this dog will make me feel like a real adult and functioning human being again. It will change my life.