Meet Bethany. I am twenty-two years old and have been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type 3, Degenerative Disc Disease, Asthma, Celiac Disease, Arthritis, and a few other ailments. The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome makes me susceptible to dislocations and severe pain.  I have also had chronic pain ever since I was a child. My journey began with knee dislocations and arthritis, as I have gotten older the pain has increased limiting my overall mobility.  I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and a tear in one of my discs after an accident I had when I was 18.  Ever since I’ve had a harder time walking and bending to the point that small actions such as laundry and cooking become serious hurdles throughout my day.

My doctors and I have agreed that it is time for me to apply for a service dog. Through research I discovered a company in San Diego that trains service dogs that help people like me adapt to everyday life, provide protection, and help with everyday activities. Little Angels Service Dogs has approved me to receive a trained service dog. They are a charitable 501c3 non-profit organization that fully provides capacity for all donations to be tax deductible of the law. Their dogs are typically Labradors who have been bred for this work. They are trained in foster homes from the moment they are weaned.  The foster families do a fantastic job of getting these pups used to some very unusual circumstances at an early age.  Once the dogs are mature enough, they are brought back to the dog training facility for specialized training to assist the individual with whom they will be placed.

In my case, the dog will learn retrieval for balls and dropped items as a benefit to me and for his own enjoyment.  Deep pressure will also be used to help calm me and reduce stress in public situations or any other stressful circumstances.  In special cases the dog can also help
distance me from large crowds and provide a source of stability and balance if I am without any external tools like a walker or chair.

Overall, the dog for me would be an opportunity
to become more self-reliant and remove the needs and pressure I used to put on those close to me.  This would be an amazing gift for me and others like myself to receive the benefits of a service
dog. I am raising money for Little Angels to continue their important work, as every dog Little Angels provides is paid for by donations.

Sincerely, 

Bethany Segura

FROM LITTLE ANGELS: We train dogs to assist
their recipients with Mobility Tasks, Seizure & Diabetic Alert, Hearing
Loss, Autism, PTSD, Panic Attacks as well as many other needs. Most of the dogs we place are puppies that have come from our own breeding program and are raised from birth with the specific goal of being an Assistance Dog. Others are lucky enough to be rescued from local shelters and rescue programs and end up changing the lives of others. Each dog's training is personalized to help their individual handlers needs. 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bethany-segura1