It will change the life of an amazing young lady who deals with the seizures on on a regular basis. Seizure response dogs are a special type of service dog, specifically trained to help someone who has epilepsy or a seizure disorder. The Chelsea Hutchison Foundation is currently fundraising to be able to provide a grant to Nicole and Bandit, a service dog in training for her. Due to the differing needs between each case, every potential seizure dog receives specialized training
Nicole has Sturge Weber Syndrome and suffers from seizures. She is on numerous medications and has a Vagus Nerve Stimulator, but she still struggles with seizures. A seizure-response dog would bring a sense of relief to her family knowing they would be alerted at night if she were to seize. Also having a service dog to protect her while having a seizure or possibly even catching her when she fell is very comforting for Nicole to think about. It would make a huge impact on her entire family!
Imagine being a teenager and never being able to do the things that most teenagers do. Bandit is being trained to keep her save by bracing a fall, protecting her during a seizure and summoning help. Bandit will even be able to push an able phone which can call 911 for emergency help if needed. Bandit will allow Nicole a little more independence and bring some peace to her family knowing she will have a constant companion watching over her at all times.
Our goal is to get life-saving measures in line for all who could benefit from them. By raising SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) awareness, our hope is to get epilepsy research on the radar. Most believe that if you have seizures you can take a pill and be cured. Truth is that only 1/3 of those with seizures are controlled by medication. For many, multiple seizures are an every-day part of their life. 1 in 26 will be diagnosed with epilepsy in their lifetime.