Service Dog for Sophia
Sophia is 4.5 year old girl who is profoundly effected by multiple disabilities. She is a sweet energetic light in our lives who requires a high level of care to live out daily life . Sophia currently attends preschool with a support worker and 3 weekly Behaviour Intervention sessions .She also regularly participates in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy . When Sophia is not working hard at school and her therapy programming she loves playing with her big brother Jax . She loves playing Chase with him and jumping on the trampoline . She also loves swimming , sledding and the beach . Sophia has the best belly laughs & a funny sense of humour.
We are working towards getting sophia a service dog . We believe this will improve her quality of life . Her mobility will be supported through dog handling and tethering. The dog will be trained look out for her safety by holding her back or standing between potential safety hazards , as well as anchoring her when needed . The dog will be trained to alert seizures helping to lower her risk for SUDEP. The dog will be able to to Discourage harmful or repetitive stimulation behaviours and help to redirect her . Sophia will sleep with dog Adding that extra safety layer for nocturnal seizures as well as alert if she leaves her room. A service dog will promote emotional regulation for her and invaluably over time their bond will grow into a meaningful relationship.
Sophia is diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome Dup15q, autism , epilepsy , hypotonia, and global development delay. She struggles with Gastrointestinal issues , ataxia , sensory processing, emotional regulation and is currently non verbal . Sophia faces daily struggles physically, mentally , emotionally and medically . Sophia is at an increased risk of SUDEP ( sudden death in epilepsy) . Sophia needs constant care, and will need continued care for her foreseeable future . We are hopeful the service dog will bring a small piece of autonomy and independence in a form that works for her and our family . She is resilient and keeps learning and surprises us all of the time with her developmental gains . Sophia has endured many hospitalizations , testings . She travels to BC children’s hospital for neurology support and other speciality therapies and teams when needed . Sophia is a tough little cookie , her mobility is significantly affected and she frequently falls , looses balance , and hits objects, it is amazing she gets back up everytime !!!
The cost , for specialized equipment, therapies , travel , and supportive care , is high , there is very little funding to support her unique needs .
We are reaching out to our community and plan to fundraise in multiple ways so we can provide our little girl with this dog to improve her life , equalize some of the disadvantages her disabilities cost her .
As parents to a medically complex child it’s hard to not feel guilty about the attention she requires while having another child. We dream of something as simple as being able to watch her brother , Jax play at the park or soccer , and not have to constantly have eyes on Sophia . The ability to tethering Sophia to her service dog would also allow some room to share more attention to our son . That extra margin of safety would make a significant impact in our life .
The few programs available to provide service dogs with partial funding are closed to new waitlist and have remained closed since the pandemic . We are planning to train a puppy from a reputable BC breeder and local training academy . The cost is far less this way , than obtaining a fully trained service dog . We have been advised to acquire and train the dog as well as testing and equipment will be around 25,000$.
Our dream for Sophia is to give her a full life . We believe that is through experiences in life and being active in the world , having a fury service dog friend to help guide these experiences will be life changing for her and our family
Thank you for reading about our story
The Halbgewachs Family .
