Service Dog to Be...Nichole's Story
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Hi! My name is Nichole and this is Khalessi my service dog to be. The following is a little bit of my story and why I need help with fundraising for her. When I started writing this I didn’t know what to say but the words in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 have been on my heart as I’m learning how to ask for help…
“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me…”
I pray just that.
I’m asking for help fundraising for the $14,000 I need for my service dog, which is A LOT of MONEY! Additionally, I just found out she will be ready for me very soon. Sooner than I ever imagined. This February she will be ready to be transferred to me! The trick is I can’t have her until I have the funds. That’s why I’m stepping out and “boasting about my weaknesses” and praying for help. The reason I need Khalessi is to be my medical assist dog for a variety of unseen conditions. My story and the factors that contribute to it, I’m still learning how to speak about. I’ve battled with parts of this my whole life; I just didn’t know or understand what I was fighting. Over the past 2 years the battle has become severe. I’m not making it through every day activities as a 25 year old should get through. I struggle through most days just trying to stay grounded and present and then some.
This is one of the many glimpses into why I’m asking for help in fundraising for my service dog. Service dogs have been proven to help with symptoms and struggles with my condition in unbelievable ways. It’s hard to find a match for people and they found one for me faster than I expected. I got to meet my dog, Khaleesi, at Christmas for the first time in person to make sure we are truly 100% perfect match. She’s been getting trained for me and everything about her is an amazing match. For example, I run with Team World Vision (TWV) and fundraise for vulnerable children worldwide. I’ve done and will continue to do so by running marathons and yes you’ve guessed correctly Khalessi’s breed can train with me and run a marathon! How sweet is that!!!!!! It’s hard to find qualifying service dogs for my situation because they can’t be affected by anything from people, dogs, fireworks you name it. Let alone one that will be your match and can be trained to your triggers, medical needs, and to top it off a service dog that can run a marathon with me. That is one of the million places I see God’s hand in this story, because having her on a run with me will be a blessing. I’ve barely made it through many of my runs because of triggers, and how my body responded. The gift of having Khaleesi alongside me, will help me because she can recognize my triggers and responses before I know it’s happening and keep me safe! I say that because a couple of the things she’s been trained for is to catch my triggers, calm in panic attacks, cover my back, awake me from nightmares and so much more.
I’ve never allowed myself to realize how much my situation impacts me in day to day life, even though I’ve been told it does by multiple people including doctors. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to spend a few hours working with her and saw the difference it made. In that few hours, I saw hope in the middle of the storm. Even though it’s a long road ahead, I can have the chance to be a 25 year old who can go about being able to function better and have the gift to fully invest in people’s lives again. I love hearing about other’s lives and being there for them. It upsets me that I can’t fully be there like I want to be right now. Instead I’m off the charts struggling in ways I don’t even know how to explain. Right now is the first time in my life I need people to be there for me 100% which is a new concept to me. It’s hard to say I can’t do this part of the journey without you, the people God’s placed in my life, which is a good thing and a blessing. I’m humbled, broken, grateful and scared to death writing this and asking for help, we all need help at some point. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven as written in the commonly referenced Ecclesiastes 3. Which means there is a time to help and a time to receive help. I need help this round. So here I am asking you to please pray about being a part of my journey. Helping me get a chance to get back out in the world doing things people in their 20’s do, full of life and ready to impact, invest, and just love even more so on each person God places in my life. Khaleesi will help decrease the severity of my symptoms, since she can sense the onset, engage and help me overcome them. Your help means a chance to get back to thriving and a life change in a way that I can’t even begin to express! I am in need of support and help in a way I never thought I would. I know each of you understand what it means to be vulnerable, to knock down your walls, and ask for help. So here I am being vulnerable, asking for help which scares me, but it also leaves me with a continued hope and faith in an amazing God. It leaves me with so much thanksgiving in my heart for each person He is having join me on this journey.
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for taking time to read this and joining my journey. May God bless you and keep you!
With much love and thanksgiving,
Nichole and Khalessi my service dog to be
“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me…”
I pray just that.
I’m asking for help fundraising for the $14,000 I need for my service dog, which is A LOT of MONEY! Additionally, I just found out she will be ready for me very soon. Sooner than I ever imagined. This February she will be ready to be transferred to me! The trick is I can’t have her until I have the funds. That’s why I’m stepping out and “boasting about my weaknesses” and praying for help. The reason I need Khalessi is to be my medical assist dog for a variety of unseen conditions. My story and the factors that contribute to it, I’m still learning how to speak about. I’ve battled with parts of this my whole life; I just didn’t know or understand what I was fighting. Over the past 2 years the battle has become severe. I’m not making it through every day activities as a 25 year old should get through. I struggle through most days just trying to stay grounded and present and then some.
This is one of the many glimpses into why I’m asking for help in fundraising for my service dog. Service dogs have been proven to help with symptoms and struggles with my condition in unbelievable ways. It’s hard to find a match for people and they found one for me faster than I expected. I got to meet my dog, Khaleesi, at Christmas for the first time in person to make sure we are truly 100% perfect match. She’s been getting trained for me and everything about her is an amazing match. For example, I run with Team World Vision (TWV) and fundraise for vulnerable children worldwide. I’ve done and will continue to do so by running marathons and yes you’ve guessed correctly Khalessi’s breed can train with me and run a marathon! How sweet is that!!!!!! It’s hard to find qualifying service dogs for my situation because they can’t be affected by anything from people, dogs, fireworks you name it. Let alone one that will be your match and can be trained to your triggers, medical needs, and to top it off a service dog that can run a marathon with me. That is one of the million places I see God’s hand in this story, because having her on a run with me will be a blessing. I’ve barely made it through many of my runs because of triggers, and how my body responded. The gift of having Khaleesi alongside me, will help me because she can recognize my triggers and responses before I know it’s happening and keep me safe! I say that because a couple of the things she’s been trained for is to catch my triggers, calm in panic attacks, cover my back, awake me from nightmares and so much more.
I’ve never allowed myself to realize how much my situation impacts me in day to day life, even though I’ve been told it does by multiple people including doctors. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to spend a few hours working with her and saw the difference it made. In that few hours, I saw hope in the middle of the storm. Even though it’s a long road ahead, I can have the chance to be a 25 year old who can go about being able to function better and have the gift to fully invest in people’s lives again. I love hearing about other’s lives and being there for them. It upsets me that I can’t fully be there like I want to be right now. Instead I’m off the charts struggling in ways I don’t even know how to explain. Right now is the first time in my life I need people to be there for me 100% which is a new concept to me. It’s hard to say I can’t do this part of the journey without you, the people God’s placed in my life, which is a good thing and a blessing. I’m humbled, broken, grateful and scared to death writing this and asking for help, we all need help at some point. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven as written in the commonly referenced Ecclesiastes 3. Which means there is a time to help and a time to receive help. I need help this round. So here I am asking you to please pray about being a part of my journey. Helping me get a chance to get back out in the world doing things people in their 20’s do, full of life and ready to impact, invest, and just love even more so on each person God places in my life. Khaleesi will help decrease the severity of my symptoms, since she can sense the onset, engage and help me overcome them. Your help means a chance to get back to thriving and a life change in a way that I can’t even begin to express! I am in need of support and help in a way I never thought I would. I know each of you understand what it means to be vulnerable, to knock down your walls, and ask for help. So here I am being vulnerable, asking for help which scares me, but it also leaves me with a continued hope and faith in an amazing God. It leaves me with so much thanksgiving in my heart for each person He is having join me on this journey.
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for taking time to read this and joining my journey. May God bless you and keep you!
With much love and thanksgiving,
Nichole and Khalessi my service dog to be
Organizer
Nichole Murray
Organizer
Cottage Grove, MN
