My daughter Nicola was born in 2007 with a rare neurological condition known as microcephaly. The plates in her head had fused with the result her brain does not have the room to grow. Before her 3rd birthday Nicola had had 2 major surgeries, that were not successful and have resulted in brain injury, leaving Nicola with learning difficulties and disability. And is autistic.

Unable to read or write due to this, and with the recent losses of both her grams , great nan and great papa john within 3 years, Nicola is now developing mental health issues plus living in constant pain is leading her to self-harm.

I am fundraising to get Nicola a trained service dog. The dog would be able to assist Nicola when she has one of her regular breakdowns, as it will be trained how to soothe her and redirect her away from the thoughts that lead to the breakdowns. It will also help with Nicola’s confidence and give her a small bit of independence.

I am hoping to raise £10,000 which should cover the cost of purchasing the dog, its training and related equipment, it would be wonderful if I can raise this, as it will help Nicola be more part of the Largs community and also give her a reassurance and comfort with her difficulties and the other obstacles she will face over the coming years. The dog will give her more of a life than she has now.