Our sweet son Chance is 4 years old and will be turning 5 in October. At just 7 months old, Chance began battling epilepsy. After years of uncertainty, he was finally properly diagnosed around the age of 2, and by the time he was 3, his seizure type was reclassified as his seizures continued to change and progress. The doctors continue working hard trying to find a treatment that will help control his seizures.

Chance’s epilepsy has been anything but simple. His seizures have changed in appearance over the years and have progressed into unpredictable drop seizures, causing him to suddenly fall without warning. Because of these seizures, Chance has had to undergo brain surgery, try multiple different medications, and make countless adjustments in an effort to gain better seizure control.

Despite everything he has been through, Chance continues to amaze us with his strength, his smile, and his determination.

He is currently on a medically supervised ketogenic diet as another treatment for his epilepsy. His diet has to be carefully calculated and monitored because even small changes can affect his seizure control. Managing his epilepsy is a constant part of our everyday life.

One of our biggest concerns is keeping Chance safe. His drop seizures can happen without warning, and we can’t always be there to catch him. We want to give him the opportunity to become more independent while also giving our family another layer of protection and peace of mind.

That is why we are raising money to help Chance receive a specially trained seizure service dog.

A seizure service dog could potentially alert us to changes before or during a seizure, help keep Chance safe during and after a seizure, and provide support that could make an enormous difference in his daily life. Most importantly, we hope a service dog can help Chance have more freedom to be a little boy—to play, learn, explore, and experience childhood with a greater sense of safety.

The cost of obtaining and training a seizure service dog is approximately $20,000. This is far beyond what our family could easily afford on our own, which is why we are asking our friends, family, and community to help us give Chance this incredible opportunity.

Every donation, no matter how big or small, brings Chance one step closer to having a service dog by his side. If you aren’t able to donate, sharing Chance’s story would mean just as much to our family.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about Chance, for supporting him, and for helping us give our little boy a chance at greater safety, independence, and freedom.

Thank you for being part of Chance’s journey. ❤️

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.