Sully's Service Dog Training #sullyatyourservice
Donation protected
It's hard enough to admit to yourself when you need help, but it's always so much harder to ask others for help. But here we go...
TLDR: Sully is a psychiatric and mobility service dog in training for Angie, a young woman with many health issues including chronic illnesses, fibromyalgia, OCD, anxiety, depression, and cPTSD. Angie needs help funding Sully's extensive service dog training.
Instagram: @sullyatyourservice
Hashtag #sullyatyourservice
My name is Angie and I've created this GoFundMe page because I have reached the point where I need support with the financial stress of training my service dog, Sully. The total cost of his training will exceed $20,000. I am grateful that this is on the low end of training programs which can exceed more than double this amount for some.
I'm willing to be vulnerable because training Sully to be a psychiatric and mobility service dog is one of the best decisions I've made so far in life. I've worked incredibly hard through years of treatment to get to a place where I have created a life that I want to live; and I'm committed to continue moving forward using Sully as a lifeline to function through daily activities and foster my independence.
If you would like to read on, I will first talk a little about Sully and then share some of my story.
Sully is a 17 month old Australian Cobberdog and is currently attending Ruff Translating's service dog program in Roslindale, MA. He is progressing wonderfully and is learning more everyday how to harness his puppy energy and train to perform service dog tasks that will help improve my quality of life. Sully is not a pet. He is currently considered a service dog in training and likely has another year of intensive work before he can be called a fully trained service dog. Here are some of the tasks he is learning:
- Deep Pressure Therapy
- Grounding
- Shielding in crowds
- Alerting before a panic attack
- Retrieval of items such as pill bottles, water, etc.
- Interrupting severe nightmares
- Counter-balance to prevent falling when dizzy
- Forward momentum to help to walk
If you would like to read more about the Ruff Translating service dog program please click here: Ruff Translating Service Dog Program FAQ.
The picture below is of Sully working - he came with me to get my second COVID shot after I had a panic attack getting the first dose. He is providing a sensory grounding experience to keep my anxiety under control. I did not have a panic attack when he was with me.
TRIGGER WARNING....
I'd like to share some of my story because I think it would be helpful to explain why I need a service dog. I've been struggling to manage my mental and physical health problems for as long as I can remember and since not all disabilities are visible most people never knew how hard I was fighting.
At the age of 10 my anxiety became so severe that I had to take a break from school and I began taking medication. At that point I was receiving accommodations at school to manage my anxiety and daily panic attacks, I was completely debilitated by undiagnosed OCD and the compulsions that consumed my time, and I was developing more and more food allergies causing me to be terrified of eating. As I grew up, my fears multiplied, I developed major depressive disorder, and while I did my best to appear "normal" I was slipping. Unfortunately it wasn't until I was 20 that I finally started treatment that would actually help me cope. As I said at the beginning, both admitting you need help and asking help from others is terribly difficult. I felt like I was past the point of being helped and ending my life felt like the only option. I'm very lucky to be alive and I am forever grateful to my family and friends who listened when I finally asked for help and have been supporting me ever since. At 20 years old I was diagnosed with OCD. The OCD Institute at McLean Hospital saved my life. I had no idea how my OCD obsessions and compulsions had taken over and become the main trigger for my suicidal ideation. As my health journey continued I made significant progress when being diagnosed with complex PTSD (cPTSD) and fibromyalgia, a chronic illness causing mobility issues, never ending pain and fatigue, and erradic fluctuations in severity. Over the past six years I am incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunities to participate in programs helping me to learn skills and treat many of my mental health issues. I'd like to clarify that I am not cured. For me, I know I will always struggle and my goals are centered around management. A service dog is my next step in treatment to continue my progress and help me to manage my symptoms.
It's very hard to push past the thoughts on stigma and shame that keep coming up when I think about how I am asking for financial help. I've spent much of my life trying to be seen as neurotypical, but the reality is that I'm neurodivergent and I am far from alone. Sometimes I just need more help to be able to live my life and that's okay. Sully's job is to support my independence and I just need some help getting him there.
Please consider donating and/or sharing this page if you are willing and able to - no amount is too small. Any support means the world to me and Sully!!
Thank you for reading this far.....Please enjoy this picture of Sully in a cowboy hat :)
Lastly, I am posting this on World Mental Health Day, Oct 10th, 2021, which is also the start of OCD Awareness Week!! Please continue the conversation on mental illnesses, chronic illnesses, and health in general - you are not alone.
I've attached some resources below if you are interested in learning more about some of the topics I've discussed.
Organizer
Angie Bello
Organizer
Boston, MA