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Hello friends and family!
As many of you know my amazing sister Johanna has dealt with an overwhelming amount of medical issues throughout her life. Last month a cluster of tonic-clonic seizures landed her back in the hospital. Her seizures are not only physically debilitating but also cause cognitive issues, bringing her life to a halt for days to weeks afterwards. The most alarming part of Johanna’s last couple seizures is that she did not have her usual “aura” or warning sensation before a seizure. Although she is recovering well, taking her medications and avoiding anything that lowers her seizure threshold, there is nothing her neurologist can do at this point to completely stop the seizures. It has been a rough road to recovery for Johanna, especially since she is constantly in fear of having another seizure. Going through all of this has been difficult for our entire family, but of course especially her. Up until recently the only thing we knew we could do for her was be there for support, but after her most recent hospital visit we found out there was something more. After much deliberation Johanna has decided get a seizure alert and response service dog. Not only will the service dog be trained to read Johanna’s body in order to sense a seizure, it will also be trained to go alert the nearest person if she has one. Having a service dog would not only give Johanna a sense of security she hasn’t had since the seizures began, but also greatly increase her independence and give her life more normalcy. These things are vital for Johanna as she hopes to attend a human ecology program next fall where she would be away from her family and friends.
Getting a dog at this point in Johanna’s life, while being a student and only working part time, would not be financially responsible in any other circumstance. But for Johanna getting a service dog is really not a choice, but more a necessity in order to increase her quality of life. Because of the extensive training that Johanna will need to go through with her service dog, the costs will be upwards of $5,000. Medical bills already put a huge financial strain on Johanna and our family, so the cost of a service dog is an impossible barrier. That is why I am making this Gofundme page, hoping that anyone who is able to will donate towards the cause. Any amount you are able to donate would be very much appreciated!
Thank you,
Nicola Turner
As many of you know my amazing sister Johanna has dealt with an overwhelming amount of medical issues throughout her life. Last month a cluster of tonic-clonic seizures landed her back in the hospital. Her seizures are not only physically debilitating but also cause cognitive issues, bringing her life to a halt for days to weeks afterwards. The most alarming part of Johanna’s last couple seizures is that she did not have her usual “aura” or warning sensation before a seizure. Although she is recovering well, taking her medications and avoiding anything that lowers her seizure threshold, there is nothing her neurologist can do at this point to completely stop the seizures. It has been a rough road to recovery for Johanna, especially since she is constantly in fear of having another seizure. Going through all of this has been difficult for our entire family, but of course especially her. Up until recently the only thing we knew we could do for her was be there for support, but after her most recent hospital visit we found out there was something more. After much deliberation Johanna has decided get a seizure alert and response service dog. Not only will the service dog be trained to read Johanna’s body in order to sense a seizure, it will also be trained to go alert the nearest person if she has one. Having a service dog would not only give Johanna a sense of security she hasn’t had since the seizures began, but also greatly increase her independence and give her life more normalcy. These things are vital for Johanna as she hopes to attend a human ecology program next fall where she would be away from her family and friends.
Getting a dog at this point in Johanna’s life, while being a student and only working part time, would not be financially responsible in any other circumstance. But for Johanna getting a service dog is really not a choice, but more a necessity in order to increase her quality of life. Because of the extensive training that Johanna will need to go through with her service dog, the costs will be upwards of $5,000. Medical bills already put a huge financial strain on Johanna and our family, so the cost of a service dog is an impossible barrier. That is why I am making this Gofundme page, hoping that anyone who is able to will donate towards the cause. Any amount you are able to donate would be very much appreciated!
Thank you,
Nicola Turner
Organizer and beneficiary
Johanna Turner
Beneficiary