Hello, my name is James Gresko. I am 15 years old and seeking your support for an autism service dog. Over the past few years I have had a rough time. Doctors diagnosed me with selective mutism, PTSD, severe social anxiety, major depressive disorder, and level 2 autism. These issues impact my daily life in many ways and limit my independence significantly. For example, I have trouble going out in public due to sensory overload and severe anxiety. I have trouble communicating my thoughts and feelings to others, even to those I feel comfortable with. I have extreme difficulties advocating for myself, even for simple things. I often feel isolated, lonely, and overwhelmed.
Despite all of these challenges, I have found one thing that has given me relief; interactions with animals. This became most apparent when my therapist suggested I take my pet into my appointments to assist me in communicating during our sessions. After months of struggling to speak in session, having an animal at my side was an absolute game-changer and has led me to pursue a service-dog.
Some may ask: Why a service-dog and not an “emotional-support dog”? A service dog is trained specifically to perform tasks to assist me in everyday living. For example it would be trained to support me when I am rocking, hand flapping, or crying, through a task called “behavior disruption”. Other trained tasks include deep pressure therapy (DPT), Interruption tasks, movement tasks and tasks for setting routines. The service-dog designation also allows my companion to accompany me in spaces where pets are not allowed and will help me navigate stressful situations such as doctors appointments, school transitions, and other public interactions.
As one could imagine, breeding, training and placing service dogs is very expensive. Many dogs are not able to reach the high standards of the service animal designation and the cost for a single service dog can range between $40,000 to 60,000 depending on breed.
After receiving a service dog prescription from my doctor and researching service-dog providers, I have partnered with “4 Paws For Ability” an accredited 4-star, top-rated non-profit organization and here is where YOU can help.
I need your support to help me raise $20,000 to help cover the costs. Any contribution would be helpful and if you share my message to people you know it would mean the world to me. Your money will be well spent in making my future so much brighter.
Thank you for reading this and considering me.
James