A Service Dog for Emily
support a survivor helping survivors
My name is Emily and I’m a 25 year old graduate student and aspiring social worker/therapist. I’ve struggled with PTSD and seizures since my early childhood.
I continue to juggle overwhelming and debilitating symptoms and was without diagnoses or access to treatment for many years. My seizure disorder is complex in that I’ve experienced seizures since I was 7 years old and yet my providers do not know their cause or have an effective treatment plan. Therefore, I need to make lifestyle changes to promote my safety.
I have made huge strides in my ability to advocate for myself, make use of treatment and connect with my support system in the last few years. My commitment to healing helped me come to terms with my trauma and accept that my conditions are chronic and require constant work.
If I want to pursue my goals I need to maintain my independence. Thus, I need another tool in my toolkit to manage my PTSD and stay physically safe from the danger of seizures. In this way, a service dog would be a life-changing support to me.
It is my hope that a service dog will help me maintain my safety, independence and function by performing tasks to identify, respond to and lessen my symptoms. I need to help myself in order to help others as a social worker. I am endlessly grateful for your assistance in making this possible and supporting a survivor stand alongside other trauma survivors.