The Chelsea Hutchison Foundation has committed to a grant for these young boys to be able to live their lives with a little more comfort. Blue, is currently in training and will be joining the brothers in the next few months. Seizure-response dogs are a special type of service dog that is specifically trained to help someone who has epilepsy. Each seizure-response dog is trained to the specific needs of the handler - handlers in this case.
Imagine being a teenager or preteen and never being able to do the things that others their age do. Brynn and Brett live with the fear of having a bad seizure in public and/or being hurt. Excitement during most outings trigger seizures which is heartbreaking. As a result, this family spends most of their time close to home. The boys are home-schooled and almost always together. The long-term plan is for both boys to ultimately have their own seizure-response dog, but this is a great start!
This family reports that by having Blue, it will mean more freedom for them. They are anxious for the boys to have their confidence back again and be willing to explore the world again. Blue will be trained to recognize when Brynn or Brett are having a seizure and respond accordingly by bringing emergency medications, alerting parents or caregivers, etc. In time, Blue may even be able to alert before the onset of a seizure.
This particular project will provide seizure-response dogs for people living with epilepsy, greatly increasing their chances of surviving life-threatening episodes that may arise. This project will also raise awareness about SUDEP to encourage further support of individuals living with epilepsy, their families, and their communities.
