When we started our service dog journey for Lillie in 2016, we were very new to epilepsy and were open to trying anything to preserve Lillie's quality of life. By the time she was matched with Shadow in 2018, she had developed autoimmune encephalitis, and her world had been thrown upside down. Since they have been a team, she has added dysautonomia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hearing loss, and low vision to the diagnosis list, and been through countless ambulance runs to the ER, hospital stays, and even out of state travel for hospitalizations and specialist visits. Through all of this, with her "wing-dog" by her side, she has not only coped, but she has thrived. She has stayed in public school (and yes, he goes with her and even rides the bus), and is very active in the community, participating in band, drama, and even restarting the ASL club. She has developed confidence to advocate for herself and others, and is planning for her future. Not only has Shadow helped her get through her day to day life, but he has helped her develop a level of independence that is similar to her peers. Shadow and Lillie will be graduating high school in 2026, and he will likely need to retire in the next couple of years. We are starting the process to get a second dog, as our experience with 4 Paws and Shadow has been amazing and life-changing. Shadow will remain a part of our family and enjoy a second career as Mom's therapy assistant, and the new dog will help Lillie with seizure alert, mobility, and hearing alerts. We appreciate your support to reach our goal of $10k.