Seizure-Response Dogs for those with Epilepsy

We are so lucky to have your support.  Please accept a huge “Thank you!” from all of us at The Chelsea Hutchison Foundation (“CHF”) for your generous support.  Your contribution has played an essential part in providing life-saving, hope-sustaining support to families across the country!

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, 98 families have received help obtaining seizure response dogs.  I’ve included photos of the last 6 service dog teams to receive assistance from CHF.

The Chelsea Hutchison Foundation grants comfort and hope to those affected by epilepsy through providing monitoring resources, vital information, and a safe haven for conversation and community.

Our main goal is to raise awareness of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) and to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and families living with epilepsy.

We raise funds to provide education about SUDEP and to provide seizure response dog grants and movement monitors that help to protect against SUDEP.

We stay up-to-date on current trends in medical technology in order to be able to provide the most effective devices as they become available.

We respect the value and quality of life of every person living with epilepsy.

We are dedicated to providing opportunities that allow individuals and families greater independence, increased confidence, ability to enjoy social environments, and community understanding.

Here are links to a few of our other projects.  We'd love for you to take a look.

Life-Saving Movement Monitors

Make a Dream Come True

Weighted Blankets

Your gift to the Chelsea Hutchison Foundation has kept us going on our mission to bring comfort and hope to individuals and families for whom struggling with epilepsy is a daily reality, and has allowed us to give relief directly to those who need it most. We are grateful, truly.

Warmly,

Thank you to all of you who support this very important project.  With your help, and others like you, The Chelsea Hutchison Foundation has just paid our 95th grant for seizure-response dogs.  These amazing animals are such a blessing to those who struggle to have some sort of normalcy in their lives when dealing the unpredictible seizures.  

Seizure-response service dogs can really be trained to the specific needs of their handler.  While no trainer can truly guarantee that a service dog will learn to alert before the onset of a seizure, with very specific temperament training, the likelihood of this happening increases greatly.  Some of the response tasks trained could be barking to alert a parent or caregiver of a seizure, pushing an alert button, block from stepping into traffic during a "roaming" seizure, bringing emergency medications, swiping a VNS magnet to lessen or stop a seizure...and the list goes on. 

"I am 34 years old and have had uncontrolled epilepsy for the past 14 years.  I have been on many different medications and have had two VNS surgeries.  I have been on the ketogenic diet, but sill have many seizures each day.  I finally agreed to get a seizure-response dog, but was unable to afford the enormous price tag.  That is where CHF stepped in to help.  I now have Brody and not only is he responding, but alerting as well.  I could not ask for more.  When I was at my lowest, CHF stepped in and offered help."

We appreciate your support more than we can expressin words!  We have a few other Globalgiving projects we'd like to share with you.

Movement Monitors 

Epilepsy Awareness Day at Disneyland

Weighted Blankets

A Seizure-Response Service Dog for Zachary

A Seizure-Response Service Dog for Parker