It will change the life of this precious young man who deals with 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 $2500 grant to Tristen and Sam. Due to the differing needs between each case, every potential seizure dog receives specialized training
Sam is in his final stages of training for Tristen. Tristen is now able to do things other 13 yr-old boys do like ride a bike, walk to Grandma's, sleep in his own bed, swim, etc. Sam has given Tristen a life again and he can do pretty much everything he wants, with Sam by his side. If Tristen has a seizure, Sam gets the rescue meds which allows Mom to stay by his side. Sam alerts his family before a seizure so they can be sure Tristen is braced for what is to come.
Imagine being a teenager and never being able to do the things that most teenagers do. Sam has been working with Tristen for about a year and has been trained to keep him save by bracing a fall, protecting him during a seizure and getting help. Sam has already proven to be able to alert before an oncoming seizures which is the best possible outcome. Due to an ongoing heart condition, Tristen is at high risk of SUDEP. Sam is a huge asset to this family to keep Tristen safe.
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.
