Make Ellie's Dream Paws-ible: Fundraising For a Service Dog

Ellie, our miracle girl, needs a service dog and we need your help!

During birth Ellie suffered from a Hypoxic-Ischemic incident. This is a brain injury that occurs when the brain's oxygen or blood supply is reduced or cut off. Ellie spent 32 days in the NICU. She was transported from Lake Regional Hospital to MU Women and Children’s Hospital. We were informed she was a gravely ill infant and there was a distinct chance she may not survive, and if she did survive there were chances she would be wheelchair bound, not able to feed herself or speak, or be in a vegetative state. Ellie’s body had shut down. There was damage to every organ and strokes occurred in two areas of her brain. New technology at the time of a cooling blanket was used for Ellie for 72 hours. After that she surprised everyone as her body began the healing process. She truly is a miracle!

Ellie was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. These conditions and coinciding complications will be experienced her entire life. She will always have the risk of severe seizure, learning challenges, sensory processing issues, and problems with emotional regulation.

Currently, following a recent EEG, Ellie (13) was diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome which is a severe form of epilepsy. It has been determined, at the urging of her neurologist, that Ellie could greatly benefit from a service animal. A seizure response dog could break a fall, go for help, keep Ellie in a safe position, alert others to an ongoing seizure, and provide guardianship during and after a seizure. A seizure response dog would also give Ellie the confidence and comfort to connect with her community as well as move forward feeling safe and empowered.

We have completed the process of application with SIT Service Dogs and Ellie has been approved! They will work one-on-one with us to find the perfect dog to match Ellie’s needs. Before graduation from the program Ellie’s dog must pass skill/temperament testing, along with a public access evaluation (using the standards set forth by International Association of Assistance Dog Partners for public access work.)

It is very expensive to obtain a service dog and we need your help. SIT Service Dogs will perform all the training necessary for the dog to serve Ellie, but we are responsible for the fundraising to pay for that training.

We appreciate all help, including monetary donations and by sharing Ellie’s story.

We express gracious gratitude for any and all you are willing to do!