Raimi: Service Puppy Savior
Ever since the day I was born my mom has been telling me that I was born under a very special star. She says that to comfort me in my hardest moments, and in those very moments, I often find myself wishing that she was wrong.
This is my story. A story about both resilience, meeting pain and standing strong and about meeting pain and crumbling. My story is about visioning and living meaningfully to create a world that I really want to be a part of. And mine is a story about learning to know what we need in order to shine in the brightness of the unique star that we each came here to be.
My childhood was incredibly blessed. I grew up romping in the mud, tending to our beautiful garden and building delicate fairy houses. I loved all of the magic and beauty of my good days. But unfortunately, hard days were also destined to be a part of my story, just as they are for many of us. I suffered a series of accidents, the most serious at 7 years old, when I was hit and run over by a truck while crossing the street with a friend. The truck rolled over my legs and my dreams for a normal life were left behind in that moment upon the pavement. Nothing would ever be the same. I was confined to a wheelchair and confronted with the prognosis that I would never walk again.
But maybe my mom is right, maybe there really is a special star because I taught myself to walk again and fought my way to a more normal life. What followed over the course of the next several years was a variety of further accidents resulting in traumatic brain injury, periodic paralysis, frequent bouts of losing consciousness, weakness in my body and a series of diagnoses in the form of a lot of letters that do not amount to much more than the awareness that my life is different than it is for most 18 year olds. I have to work a lot harder to maintain any assemblance of normal. This means absolute diligence with things most young adults would never have to consider (therapies, supplements, healing protocols, daily activities to support balance, diet, exercise, stress management, etc.). Despite my devotion to my wellbeing and to doing everything I can to optimize my chances for health and balance, I still suffer significant health episodes that require my being accompanied by others in order to assure that I am safe, conscious and well.
Recently, I have been dreaming of creating an independent life outside of the incredible support of my family. I have realized that bringing a service dog into the picture is a positive, hopeful notion of how I might successfully take these next steps. This is where Raimi comes into the picture, my incredible, sweet little savior puppy. I met Raimi when she was 6 weeks old and love her more everyday. I have been working with Compass Key, a beautiful service dog training program that will be walking me through each step in the training process over the course of the next two years. This is a wonderful program that will train Raimi to identify and respond to cues that I present prior to a health episode. She will learn how to redirect me to get my attention when I am fading, and even to get help if I am unable to do so for myself. Raimi’s training will take approximately 2 years and total around $14,000.
Raimi represents a dream of a life well lived for me. She is hope, safety, support and love all in the form of a tiny little beagle. Should you feel drawn, I welcome and appreciate your support in bringing this dream to life.
