I'm sure you've heard the saying "Life is better with a dog" Well that saying couldn't be any truer for a child like Kayleigh. This is why we have joined forces with 4 Paws for Ability to get Kayleigh a service dog of her own. 
Kayleigh is a beautiful, tenacious, courageous and kind hearted 9 year old little girl who has been through so much. 
Kayleigh has a Rare Mitochondrial Diease that literally effects her body from head to toe. She has endured more hospitalizations, surgeries, testing and appointments than many people endure in a lifetime. Due to Kayleigh's Mito she struggles daily with extreme fatigue and requires countless hours more of sleep than the average person just so she can function, and uses a wheelchair to preserve as much energy as possible, she struggles with cognitive delays, fine and gross motor delays, balance issues, Liver Disease, Cardiomyopathy, eye muscle weakness, speech delays, neurogenic bladder, tethered cord, scoliosis, apnea and pulmonary issues, a brain cyst, and a year ago her colon quite working which required an ileostomy be surgically placed. 
Due to Kayleigh's complex medical needs she is cared for by a team of 33 different providers. This includes specialist, therapist and support staff. 
During one of our appointments Kayleigh was introduced to Marty a facility dog at Cincinnati Children's and we witnessed first hand the calm that comes over with with a dog by her side. It was at that point we knew just what we had to do. We had to get her a dog of her own. 
Kayleigh's dog will support her with balance, retrieving lost or dropped items, mobility support as well as emotional support. Due to Kayleigh's extensive medical history she has some severe medical PTSD and gets very anxious. Her dog will help comfort her when things get hard or scary and during labs and procedures. 
Her dog is going to be a huge game changer for Kayleigh. Her dog will help give her the confidence, courage and independence she not only needs but deserves. Will you help us meet our goal so we can get Kayleigh the dog she so desperately needs? 
Every penny counts! No donation is too small nor to big. We appreciate everyone of you and Thank you for being a part of #KayleighsArmy
 

Training a service dog to meet our child’s requirements can be very costly. On average it costs between $40,000-60,000 to raise, train, and place a service dog at 4 Paws for Ability. While 4 Paws for Ability fundraises to help cover a significant portion of this cost, families are tasked with raising $20,000 of that amount or $23,000 if receiving a poodle, doodle or papillon. We hope that we can receive assistance from our beloved family and friends to help make our service dog dream a reality.