Hi !! My name is Kaitlyn Wright or “Katie” and I’m a 17-year-old suffering from several chronic illnesses. I have multiple conditions including but not limited to EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome); SMAS (Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome); MALS (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome); OI Type I (Osteogenesis Imperfecta); POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome); and Dysmotility of my GI tract. These conditions require me to have numerous medications, a Broviac Central Line, KAFOs (Knee Ankle Foot Orthotics), forearm crutches, and a custom manual wheelchair. These conditions have affected several things in my life. My schooling/education has been affected the most out of anything (which for somebody who loves and appreciates academics, is a hard pill to swallow). It’s affected my social life which consequently affects my mental health even more than it already is. I have doctor/therapy appointments many times a week which take up a lot of my time on top of being in and out of the hospital.

One thing that would help me live my life despite these conditions of mine is a service dog. The dog would help me with mobility assistance [counter-balance; pulling my wheelchair; helping up from the floor and stairs; etc.] as well as cardiac alert for my POTS [alerting me to when my heart rate is too high; my blood pressure is too low or high; and most important alerting me to when I’m about to pass out/faint]. The only problem with this is that there aren’t many resources to fund a service dog. Service dogs range anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. This is why I’m turning to GoFundMe and social media to try and fund my service dog. I don’t like asking for money/funds but if I want to improve my quality of life, then this is one of the only ways I can obtain that. If at all possible please donate to my cause and if that’s not possible please, please spread the word!!

Thank You So So Much,

Katie

P.S. You can contact me via my social media accounts if you have any questions

Instagram Account: zebra_warrior_1123

Facebook Account: Katie Wright