Grayson has a way of lighting up any room with his smile, and his laughter is truly contagious. He finds joy in the little things, even after facing more challenges in his eight years than most ever will. From before he was even born, Grayson has been a fighter—and that strength continues to shine through every day. He’s a force to be reckoned with in the very best way.

Grayson was diagnosed with spina bifida at our 20-week ultrasound. We were told he might never walk and could face challenges such as hydrocephalus (a buildup of fluid in the brain), Chiari II malformation, and difficulties with bladder and bowel function. Wanting to give him the best possible start, we chose fetal surgery at 25 weeks to repair his spinal cord. Grayson was born strong, with only minimal concerns at birth. Around one month old, his hydrocephalus began to worsen, and he underwent brain surgery—an ETV/CPC procedure, which creates a small opening in the third ventricle to allow fluid to drain. While many children with spina bifida require a shunt, Grayson’s procedure has remained successful, and he has not needed one. After that, his early years were much smoother. He did experience developmental delays, especially with walking. Still, through incredible determination—along with braces, a walker, and extensive occupational and physical therapy—he took his first steps by the age of two. Today, if you met Grayson, you might never know he was born with a disability. He is truly amazing. While he still has some balance challenges and may one day benefit from the support of a service animal, his strength, resilience, and spirit continue to inspire everyone around him.

With brain abnormalities comes an increased risk of epilepsy, and when Grayson was four, we witnessed his first seizure. He was diagnosed with epilepsy soon after. In the beginning, his seizures were more focal, but over the past year, they have become more complex. About 90% of the seizures we’ve been able to catch happen at night, after Grayson has gone to bed. Seizures lasting longer than five minutes are considered a medical emergency—and most of Grayson’s do. These episodes often lead to 911 calls, ambulance rides, and trips to the emergency room. There was one time his seizure was so severe that he had to be intubated and life-flighted to a children’s hospital. Another time—something that still breaks our hearts—he had a seizure overnight without us knowing and woke up the next day with temporary paralysis, known as Todd’s paralysis.

During seizures, Grayson can also lose bladder control and vomit, which adds to the danger, especially when they happen while he’s sleeping. The fear of not being there in time is something we carry every day. Our greatest fear is walking into his room and finding that we were too late. For a long time, we’ve talked about how a service dog trained to detect and respond to Grayson’s seizures could change everything for our family. Finding 4 Paws for Ability gave us hope. Knowing Grayson could have that extra layer of protection—especially at night—would bring a level of peace we’ve been longing for.

Our family is incredibly grateful for any support that helps Grayson reach his goal of receiving a seizure alert dog. Every donation, no matter the size, brings him one step closer, and we truly thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We understand that not everyone is in a position to give, and that’s okay—sharing Grayson’s story means just as much to us. Your support, in any form, helps us spread awareness and hope.

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.