This project will change the life of an adult man who deals with seizures on a daily basis. The Chelsea Hutchison Foundation is currently fundraising to be able to provide a grant to Jon for Mickey, a seizure-response dog in training for him. Seizure response dogs are a special type of service dog, specifically trained to help someone who has epilepsy or a seizure disorder. Due to the differing needs between each case, every potential seizure-response dog receives specialized
Jon is a 38-year old man who has Lennox-Gasteau Syndrome, a form of epilepsy, in which one of the characteristics is intractable seizures. Jon and his family look forward to him being able to experience life and not be held back as much. He is looking forward to feeling more confident about being in public and feeling safe. Mickey is in his very early stages of training and they expect the team to be working together in early 2016.
It will dramatically reduce the stress of Jon's family. The family is looking forward to a seizure-response dog that will most importantly help to keep him safe, as well as, help to increase his independence and relieve some parental anxiety.
This particular project will provide seizure-response dogs for up to 12 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.