Austin was diagnosed with a seizure disorder in the early months of 2012 when he was just 4 years old. Following this diagnosis, we learned that the seizures were caused by several rare malformations in his brain. Despite medications, Austin was still having breakthrough seizures. As time went on, the seizures began occurring more frequently and at increased severity. We spent our days living in fear that a seizure would strike, and he would fall, hit his head, break an arm, do more damage. I spent my nights waking up multiple times to check on him, making sure that a seizure was not taking place.

In 2013, I contacted a non-profit organization that specializes in training Service Dogs for children. I knew that a Seizure Alert Dog would decrease the immense amount of stress and anxiety in our everyday lives. Our application was approved and we began a fundraising journey to get us his life-saving best friend. We applied for a fundraising scholarship from Canines for Disabled Kids and were fortunate to receive a grant to get us closer to our fundraising goal.

In 2014, Austin was matched with Paris, a beautiful golden retriever with a very strong nose. Despite proving her abilities and even picking up on seizures that were sub-clinical and unseen by the naked eye, we still faced challenges with the partnership. The biggest hurdle we faced was with Austin’s school district; we were met with significant push back when requesting an accommodation for him to access his education with a medical tool that was his service dog. We once again turned to Canines for Disabled Kids for help. Kristin, the Executive Director, sat in on many meetings advocating for Austin’s rights and training the district on how to best adapt to Austin and his needs.

I’m happy to report that many years have passed and that Austin (and Paris) are in a much better place. Paris has helped him gain 2 years of seizure freedom and has shown the direct medical benefit service dogs can provide. Our relationship with Canines for Disabled Kids has only gotten stronger, and this is our way of giving back to them for helping us get to this place of calm. If you feel so inclined, please donate to our cause and follow back when we go Over the Edge in December!