Hi there! As you may or may not know, I recently brought home a sweet Labrador retriever named Arlington, a task-trained service dog from Paws4People in December. Paws4People is a nonprofit based in Wilmington, NC, experienced in placing service dogs for people with various disabilities.

I received my diagnosis of PTSD in 2017, following a sexual assault that occurred right before I entered high school. I have been experiencing chronic nightmares every night for the past seven years. Along with nightmares, I experience panic attacks, flashbacks, and hyper-vigilance. These symptoms of my PTSD have deeply hindered my quality of life.

Arlington has been such a blessing in so many ways. Since finishing our training, she's been able to interrupt nightmares, provide deep pressure therapy, mitigate my anxieties in public, and alert me to destructive behaviors.

As a full-time college student and business owner, I am trying my best to raise $10,000. This is the cost of my Paws4People tuition, which covers training and room and board over the last six months. This is not an accumulation of all Arlington's training but rather our time training together as a team.

With Arlington in my life, I look forward to walking across the UTK Graduation stage this May with a Bachelor's degree in Art and a minor in Entrepreneurship. The addition of her to my life has already opened so many opportunities for myself that I once thought my PTSD would prevent.

I have created a GoFundMe page for Arlington's tuition. I'd love any support you are able to provide and appreciate you taking the time to read about Arlington and myself. Thank you so, so much!