Hi, my name is Jessica. I am 32 years old and in my twenties, I was diagnosed with several chronic illnesses that affect my everyday life.
After being the passenger in a bad car wreck, I never fully recovered. I walked away from the wreck with lots of bruising and pain. After seeking medical attention and seeing a neurosurgeon specialist, it was founded that I have Spina Bifida.
Since then, doctors have also found that I have herniated discs in my back and degenerative disc disease. My life has been forever changed since the day of that car wreck. I’m not able to do the physical activities that I once enjoyed so much, which has really affected my mental health.
Spina Bifida is a birth defect in which a baby’s spinal cord fails to develop properly. It occurs when a developing baby’s spinal cord fails to develop or close properly while in the womb. Symptoms that I experience include muscle weakness, stiff muscles, overactive reflexes, etc.
Since the car wreck, my parents have also been going through a nasty divorce too, following my father’s abusive behavior and other issues. I chose to support my mother’s choice to divorce him and in return for me making that decision, my father continually harassed me and also threatened to kill me on multiple occasions (even sending me a picture of the gun that he planned on doing it with).
Due to this, I also suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Chronic Migraines, Severe Anxiety, and Depression.
My life sure does look a lot different than I imagined it to be but I am still working hard to live the life I want. One of the hardest things for me to learn was how to ask for help. When I first got sick, I went from being almost completely independent to having to ask help with some of the smallest tasks. This didn’t stop me though. I am still looking for ways to be more independent. My health has improved but the thing that has really made a difference is learning how to accommodate for my illness. Whether that be mobility aids, braces, compression garments or medication. My family and I have been working with doctors and other professionals to figure out how to give me the most normal life possible.
One of the bigger things we decided on was getting me a service dog. We have been learning more about what a service dog could mean for me and how to go about obtaining one and it became more and more evident that it was the right thing to do.
A service dog could mean that I could go out by myself and eventually be able to live alone, my service dog would be trained to do the things that I struggle with doing. The dog will pick things up from the ground, bring me water, bring my medication or help me open a door. Most importantly she/he will be a mobility aid for me when I’m having a bad stability day.
The downside is that it is very expensive. I am not able to work right now due to these illnesses so fundraising and asking for donations are the options I have to help with this expense. Any help is very appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for considering a donation to help me with my service dog.
I am really looking forward to the next step in my journey!
Jessica
