Hi, I’m Misty — a single mom of three learning to navigate life with PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks, ADHD, PMDD, and dyslexia. Every day, I’m doing my best to show up for my kids, provide for our family, and move through this season of life with resilience, care, and hope.

Living with PTSD and anxiety has a very real impact on my nervous system and how I experience daily life. While I’ve spent years in therapy and worked hard to build healthy coping tools — work I’m deeply proud of — there are still moments when my nervous system becomes overwhelmed. Panic attacks, PTSD episodes, and intense anxiety can make it difficult to stay grounded, calm, and fully present.

Because of this, I meet the clinical criteria for a psychiatric service dog, and this support has been recommended as part of my ongoing care.

I’m currently raising funds to bring home Benji, a professionally trained psychiatric service dog who will become both a medical support partner and a meaningful part of our family. Benji is being trained through Doggy Does Good, and I’ll be traveling to California on 6/1 to begin training with him from 6/2–6/6 before we graduate together and return home on 6/7.

A psychiatric service dog is specially trained to recognize early signs of distress and respond in real time — often before I’m even aware of what’s happening. This type of support can help interrupt anxiety spirals, provide grounding during PTSD episodes, and help regulate my nervous system before things escalate.

Benji will not simply be a pet, but a trained medical support companion who will help create more stability, calm, and support in our everyday lives. Some of the ways a psychiatric service dog can help include:

• Alerting me when anxiety is rising, often before I notice it myself

• Providing deep pressure therapy (DPT) to help calm my nervous system

• Offering buffering or barrier support in crowded or overstimulating spaces

• Retrieving essentials like medication, water, or my phone during difficult moments

• Supporting daily grounding by prompting me to pause, breathe, and reconnect to the present moment

• Interrupting distress behaviors through trained responses such as nudging, pawing, or licking during panic attacks, hyperventilation, crying, or skin-picking episodes

Because one of my children has allergies, it’s important that Benji be hypoallergenic. Ethical breeding standards and specialized psychiatric service training significantly increase the cost, which is why community support means so much to us.

My hope is that bringing Benji home will help create a more supported, ease-filled life for both me and my children — one where I can move through the world with more calm, confidence, and presence as a mother and as a person healing and growing.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Whether you donate, share, or simply send love our way, your support truly means more than I can express.

I’m also accepting support through Venmo for anyone who prefers that option: @mistyxicumku

Sending hugs and confetti ✨

https://doggiedoesgood.org/