later on and childrenStory:

I was diagnosed with autism as a child and have since developed many health issues such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, and much more than I could list here. I now also struggle badly with my mental health and need a lot of help just to leave the house. All of these issues mean that I need a lot of time in the hospital, and I struggle with medical trauma, which makes it hard for me to attend appointments alone.

Why a service dog would help:

• I love animals and have always wanted a dog! I need a companion and a best friend.

• A dog could recognise changes in my heart to notify me to get to safety before I collapse

• The dog could attend appointments with me to help my hospital phobia

• It can be trained to help when my mobility is poor, when my mental illnesses have flared, and to calm my autism

• I intend to train it as a therapy dog to take to hospitals to cheer up ill patients

Why I need a service dog:

I'm not well enough to train a dog to be a service dog alone, and the waiting lists are really long (4+ years) if I went with a charity. I've saved most of the money so far, but I'm hoping to raise the extra funds to help myself get one sooner so I can experience the benefits of it sooner. I currently need carers to help with every task, and having the independence to do this with a dog would be life-changing and help me to feel like a human again.

What will I do with excess funds?

I'd put it towards getting myself a better-adapted wheelchair! This could also help me so much.