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Your donation will help to provide dogs to many
adults who suffer from seizures. The following is an
example of some of those on our waiting list.

Kimberly
My name is Kimberly and I am 25 years old. Since the age of 14 I would have attacks
which left me exhausted. I would go through spells where nothing made sense, my
body would freeze up and I couldn't function. I didn't know what was happening to me,
and even my doctor didn't have an explanation. It greatly effected my every day life for
fear that the episode would come at any time.

I still managed to lead an active life despite my fear. I was able to attend graduate
school going after my masters while maintaining at least two part time jobs, and
enjoying my active life. My favorite hobbies of the past were driving, romping, biking,
working on my car, baking, learning, and fishing.

But that is now the past.

Two years ago the diagnosis finally came after I had my first grand mal seizure, one
of the worst you can get. It was seizures all along, just harder to diagnose until now.

I still enjoy walking when I can and spending time with my friends, family, and
animals. Hopefully when I receive a dog I will be able to do more of the things I
enjoyed doing and become active again. A dog will be able to alert me to the
chemical changes in my body so I know I am about to have a seizure. I can stop what
I'm doing, and lay down to prepare myself - I can be safe. Just knowing when it will
happen will give me the freedom of my old life back again!

Thank you for your help!

Cassie
My name is Cassie and I have been on a roller coaster ride since I had
my first grand mal seizure at age 17. I was diagnosed with a seizure
disorder in my senior year of high school and put on medication to
control them. I went off to college as planned, majoring in film
production, having a great time and graduating with honors. I was
happily seizure free. After college I worked for many TV and film
production companies and climbed my way up in a competitive field
through hard work and determination. Being seizure free for 7 years, I
thought my seizure disorder was behind me.

In 2009, my world was once again turned upside down when my seizures
returned. Since then, I have been struggling to find the correct
medications to keep me stable. I am now unable to drive, so it has
made it very difficult to keep my life going as usual, and have had to
take a break from my career. I am now afraid to be alone, or take
public transportation, for fear I will have a seizure in public.

I have thought long and hard about the impact a service dog would have
on my life, as well as the lives of my close friends and family who
worry about my safety. My fear of being alone, or being in public
alone would be greatly diminished by having a dog that can help me
prepare to be safe by possibly predicting a seizure, and assisting me
after a seizure. This would give me the confidence I need to
eliminate the constant worry about my epilepsy, and to be able to
focus on my career, independence, and relationships that I have worked
so hard throughout my life to attain. I have always been a huge dog
lover, and I can't wait until I have this working companion in my life
to help guide me into my new independent, secure, and safe future.

Bill
My name is Bill Ward. I am married and a father of 4. I have a Severe Seizure
Disorder. Its official name is Post Traumatic Epilepsy. Although I have not grown up
with Epilepsy I have developed the seizure disorder through multiple severe head
injuries. Over a year ago I had a day where I had over 20 seizures in one day. These
are full seizures where I hit the ground and convulse, basically like a Grand Mal
seizure. I have no warning when the seizures are coming. For several months after
that I was averaging over 10 a day and through the summer and fall of 2011 in the 5-6
range a day. Currently I am at 2-3 a week. This disease also effects my memory and
concentration, so between the seizures and these secondary issues they have
determined me basically unemployable at this point unless they can find a
medication combination that changes things drastically.

I was a Cable Splicer/ Lineman for the telephone company working in an area where
we have four full seasons of every imaginable weather and I loved it. I was also a
high school football coach and a President of my Union. I had started a youth football
league and watched it grow to 14 teams before handing it over to others. I coached in
that program and also coached girl’s basketball in the youth programs. My favorite
hobby of many was to work on my friend’s cattle ranch. I had been on the
Washington State University Rodeo Team many years ago and have always enjoyed
being around livestock and other animals. In recent years my son and I had done
some team roping together. Being outside and active has been my life.
Even though the medication has clearly slowed the seizures down we can’t seem to
get them stopped or regulated. I have lost my job and am on disability at this time. I
can’t go anywhere without someone and I'm very limited in what activities I can do
now.

Having a service dog would open up my world in so many ways. First of all it would
give my family some piece of mind. I think they have been affected more than I. They
worry all the time if I am going to fall or get hurt. The secondary injuries have almost
been worse than the seizures. I am already in need of two shoulder surgeries as a
result of falls when having seizures. The service dog would allow me to move around
and be my early warning system to get down and safe. A dog would also allow me to
get out and move about without having someone with me all the time; a freedom I
have not experienced in a very long time. Until you have experienced being trapped in
your own house for over a year and not being able to drive, or go out in the yard
unless someone is home and watching, it is hard to understand the feeling of being
trapped.

Thank you so much for your support,
Bill Ward

Help support those
who suffer from seizures today!