Seven years ago, Kana, my service dog, entered my life and has been nothing short of a miracle. With her by my side, I went from struggling with basic mobility to fulfilling my dream of backpacking. Kana has supported me with mobility, balance, stability, and cardiac alerts, helping me stay active and independent.

Unfortunately, Kana became severely injured at the beginning of 2023 and endured over a year of misdiagnoses causing her condition to deteriorate. Kana eventually underwent successful ACL surgeries in March, 2024. Despite her recovery, arthritis from the prolonged misdiagnoses has made it difficult for her to continue with mobility tasks.

What is my condition? My condition, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), causes joint dislocations, joint subluxation, pain, dizziness, extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, and more. In addition to EDS, I have also been diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and a couple other fun autoimmune issues. My symptoms fluctuate unpredictably, making daily life a constant challenge. 

Kana made activities like grocery shopping, park outings with my kids, and even backpacking possible. Thanks to Kana, my leg braces, and Corra, my health improved significantly.

How does a service dog help? Kayce is our 2yr old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog that was selected to take over for Kana. Like Kana, Kayce will be trained to help provide mobility support, alert me prior to cardiac episodes, balance me, assist with tasks, and provide pressure to stabilize my condition. In addition to this, a custom cart is being made for him to allow him to assist me in outdoors activities such as hiking and backpacking! His support will restore much of the quality of life I’ve lost.

What is the cost? Kayce has passed all his approval tests and is ready for training. However, professional training is beyond our current means. Training Kayce for mobility assistance and pressure tasks costs $27,050, and adding full cardiac alert capabilities brings the total to $37,050. We need a minimum deposit of $13,500 to begin. We’re aiming to raise $13,500 to start Kayce’s training and ensure he can provide the support I need.

Your support will help me regain independence, pursue activities with my kids, and bring more consistency to my life. Any contribution or help sharing this campaign would mean the world to us. Thank you for your support and for reading this.