**Update** Our event on 11/9 was a huge success, thank you all so much! We were able to raise enough money to almost hit our goal so I adjusted our goal for the GoFundMe. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello! My name is Carolyn Banik and we are fundraising for a service dog for our daughter who suffers from a rare neurodegenerative disease called BPAN (beta-propeller protein associated neurodegeneration), a Neuronal Brain Iron Accumulation disorder. It affects 3 in 1 million people and is characterized with childhood global delays and seizures and as they progress Parkinsonism, dystonia, and dementia. Her disease is progressive and those affected start to regress in their skills and abilities as early as adolescence. The disorder will shorten her life span and once the regressions start we don't know how long we have. (NBIA Disorders Association Website). The disorder was discovered in 2012 in adults and there is no treatment and no cure. Many people diagnosed are also diagnosed with Autism. Our daughter was diagnosed with autism in June of 2024. She has no concept of safety, will wander off, or dart through parking lots/streets. She is non-verbal so we have to keep a very close eye on her because if she did wander off she wouldn't be able to communicate her way back to us. We are raising money for a service dog to keep her safe, keep her calm, and give her the help she needs to navigate situations with less anxiety.