Among the many life lessons to live by from Star Wars, we can understand that fate never tells us the odds, and it’s up to us to fulfill our destiny. A special dog is helping one man better understand these messages. When Army veteran and avid runner Rich suddenly lost almost half of his mobility function, he became twice as dependent on help from others. While remodeling his Coon Rapids home in 2011, Rich fell off the roof and suffered a massive stroke. This caused extremely limited use of his right side, as well as aphasia and ataxia that affects …
Seizure Assist Dog
An Assistance Dog Brings Life-Changing Surprises
Growing up with a disability means only knowing a life of adaptations. This can make it challenging to see the need for additional help. Callie had a stroke as a newborn baby, leaving her with left-sided hemiparesis. She has very limited use of her left arm and leg, along with some other physical challenges. She also started having seizures when she was 18, and while medication has helped manage them, she still experiences a petit mal seizure every few weeks. Callie enjoys dance classes, working at a local fast-food restaurant, and has been envisioning moving into her own home. Even …
Life for a Working Dog
Sheila’s life was full of hard work while she was raising a family. It became even harder work once her health started declining. She battled cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, an adult-onset curvature in her spine, and epilepsy, along with chronic pain and loss of bone density. Each diagnosis and battle left her abilities and freedom limited. Through it all, Sheila continued seeking treatments and options to help her continue to live a fulfilling life. Her first assistance dog helped her recognize what a difference an assistance dog could make in her well-being and independence. Sadly, her first assistance dog passed away, …
Dogs Are a Girl’s Best Friend
Katie is an active young lady who has been living with constant seizures for over nine years since she was diagnosed with epilepsy. Some of her seizures look like she’s in a brief trance, but others cause her to become immobilized other than involuntary muscle spasms. Katie has many tools that help her cope with seizures enough for her to live independently, but she still lives with the debilitating condition and has been seeking any sources of relief available. She has medications, personal connections and instructions with the local Emergency First Responders, as well as a special device. The device …
A Ray of Light and a New Life
When Your Life Suddenly Changes To have the life you know taken away in an instant is an unthinkable event. In 2009, it became Dawne’s reality. Dawne sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that resulted in a delayed grand-mal seizure. Months later she fell into a coma and developed further complications including seizures, episodes of a sudden chemical imbalance, migraines, overall mobility weakness, fatigue, and pain. Healing has been a long journey. She had to relearn how to talk, walk. Dawne tried everything she could to regain her independence but faced a debilitating disability. She felt like she lost who …
Robyn and Ziggy Conquer the World
Robyn Block and Seizure Assist Dog Ziggy By Erin Reyes After experiencing a skiing accident in 2013, Robyn Block of Good Thunder, Minnesota, developed a seizure disorder and migraines due to a traumatic brain injury. Since then, it’s been a long road to recovery. Teaming up with Ziggy, her Seizure Assist Dog, has been a life-altering step in her journey. Partnering with Ziggy has “changed my life in a lot of ways for the better,” says Robyn. Although things are going well for the duo now, Robyn initially wasn’t sure about the prospect of having an assistance dog. Despite the …