A Service Dog for Haylee

Hi there!!  My name is Haylee and I was diagnosed with crippling anxiety, panic disorder, and ptsd years ago!  Life in general was a perpetual struggle. I couldn’t work, finish college, drive, or go to the store alone. I even struggled going to the store with friends or family, and had debilitating panic attacks everywhere I went that left me exhausted and sometimes even put me in the hospital.

After years of struggling and nothing seeming to help, I applied for my first service dog through Diggity Dogs Service Dogs in 2015!  In the fall of 2018, I welcomed my service dog, Jake, into my life.  What a life changing event it was!  After a few months, Jake was really helping me start to take my life back by preforming tasks to help manage my disabilities!  After getting Jake, I was successfully able to go back to work, finish my college schooling with a degree in veterinary assistance, and even start my career in the veterinary field!

Things where looking up for me, however, due to my symptoms, I was only capable of doing a limited amount of activities and physical activities, in particular, were still very difficult for me. At times, my heart rate would elevate to the point where I would pass out and I constantly felt exhausted and very sick.

For so long my symptoms we dismissed as symptoms of my anxiety, but, in 2020 I was finally properly diagnosed with something called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Unfortunately due to the longevity of my misdiagnosis, my symptoms had gotten worse and worse, as they had been left untreated. My everyday life has had to change drastically to help me minimize and manage the symptoms of POTS.  Sadly, I can’t ride horses anymore. I can’t be a vet tech anymore. I can’t go for hikes, ride bikes, or do so many of the things that I use to love to do because of the severity of my POTS symptoms.

However, Jake was trained to alert to my high heart rate, so I could still do things to some extent and be independent while doing so!  Jake constantly saves me from going into POTS episodes and passing out!  I may not be able to be a vet tech anymore, but I have a successful job as a veterinary receptionist to this day!  I can still shop and go places on my own, drive short distances, and do what I can around the house, all because Jake is there to keep me safe!  He’s simply amazing and I don’t know what my life would have looked like without him.

Unfortunately, Jake is now almost 7 years old and in the next 2 years or so it will be time for Jake to retire from service work as my service dog.  As heartbreaking as it is for me to think about, I must start the process of fundraising for my new service dog so by the time Jake is ready to retire I will have another dog who’s able to help me with my life debilitating disabilities, so that I can continue my independence and be able to manage my symptoms, just like  Jake has helped me do for so many years now!

I appreciate everyone who is willing to help me by donating, so that I can have a new service dog in order to continue being able to function in my day to day life! ❤️❤️

Please donate now to make a difference!