Brian Ladd

Hello Everyone! Brian here again with an update on Abigail’s journey. Thanks to the 257 donors that have given so far, we have passed $13,500! This is AMAZING! We are speechless at the love and generosity being poured out. Abigail was featured on mlive.com and The Ann Arbor News this past weekend and we greatly appreciate having her story shared to thousands of people across Michigan and beyond! More BIG news– thanks to our current level of support we have officially signed our contract and paid the deposit to our service dog trainer and breeder to reserve a puppy and secure training ASAP. This is only possible because of the support we’ve gotten in the last 3 weeks. So whether you've shared, donated, or just sent good thoughts our way, please know we are moving forward because of YOU. We’ll keep posting updates– as we continue to raise funds please consider sharing a link to Abigail’s campaign. Likes, shares and comments help us get the word out! Sincerely, Brian (with Abigail, Jennifer, Jori and Kelly) Mlive.com story-- https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/10/ypsilanti-teen-raises-funds-for-service-dog-to-fight-seizures.html

Hello Everyone! I’m Brian, Abigail’s dad. I wanted to post an update, give some thanks/recognition and also answer a few questions that have come up regarding Abigail’s experience and the journey ahead. First, I wanted to answer a question that has come up alot as Abigail’s story has spread: “Your current goal seems small– aren’t service dogs more expensive?” Well– yes! GoFundMe works like this: you set a total goal and they post a smaller number to give the campaign a phased feel so we can all feel some accomplishment and victory. $20,000 is daunting. $5000 not so much. It’s a psychological hack that our brains love. Currently you’ll see a goal of $9000– as we approach that number it will increase. Here are the financial costs to get Abigail and her dog together and trained: Purchase of the service dog from a reputable breeder: $2500-3500 1 year of “board and train” with a local trainer we know and trust: $18,000 6 months of additional training with the trainer after the dog comes home: $2850 Pet insurance: approx $100/month Vet bills, vaccinations, harnesses and gear for the dog: TBD (thankfully Kelly is a pro service dog handler and can help us figure that out) We are also pursuing grant/scholarship opportunities that can help as well. Finally, THANK YOU! The generosity, love and kindness we’ve received in the last week has been breathtaking. Many tears of encouragement and hope have been shed– what you all have done gives us not only help in the present but provides some comfort and support for the invisible past since 2021. I want to let everyone know it’s not just the donations– it’s the comments, emails, private messages, sharing the link to our GoFundMe– it’s all part of what lifts us all up. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Jennifer and I also want to thank Jori and Kelly. They have been instrumental in getting this campaign off the ground and give it the reach it has achieved in just one week. The effort they have put into this has been an incredible act of service and kindness that is helpful and healing. More updates to come! Sincerely, Brian