Hope 4 Sunshine Service Dogs for special need kids
Our goal is to help families with medically complex children raise funds to help cover the cost of service dogs and equipment
What is this about?
We live in North Carolina and this little girl is our daughter Mattaniah (Mattie). She was born with a genetic disorder called Sotos Syndrome. She also has Epilepsy. She has 4 different types of seizures. She has been through a lot in her 7 years. She has endured multiple surgeries; with the most recent being open heart surgery, she has been our Warrior Princess through all of it! She has more surgeries ahead and she deals with a lot. Even with medication for her epilepsy; Mattie has still had seizures that have disrupted her life! She really just wants to play and do all the things other kids do but she is limited in how independent she can be and how much she can do at this time.
Her doctors have recommended a seizure alert and response service dog. Unfortunately, her medical insurance does not cover this. It is very expensive at $25,000. So we are fundraising to cover the cost.
We will be working with Appalachian Dog Trainers LLC in Asheville. She has been matched with a dog whom she has named “Sunshine” and is in the process of training with the dog who will come home in January 2025. Monetary donations can be made directly to them in Mattie’s Name or given to us directly.
In researching service dogs and children with special needs: we discovered that our problem is a common problem for many special needs families. Service dogs are considered medical equipment, and to be a benefit medically by the ADA Americans with disabilities, and the federal government: Sadly, insurance do not cover the cost of obtaining and training these working medically necessary dogs. Service dogs for these children can be $ 25,000 - $50,000 and it is left to the families to try and cover the entire cost themselves.
We have thrown ourselves into fundraising to make this happen for our child and we also have a great desire to help other children like our daughter. Therefore, We have have decided to start this nonprofit “Hope4Sunshine” As we pray and hope and work hard to reach our goal for Mattie. When we reach our goal for our daughter, our intent is to continue helping to fund service dogs for kids in need; By offering Grants to families working on their own fundraising for their children. We hope to help offset some of the costs incurred by these families. Please follow us and join our cause if you are able by donating and sharing with others our “Hope for Sunshine”!
Support Hope for Sunshine - Service Dogs for medically fragile children
North Carolina General Statutes - Chapter 168
(a) Every person with a disability has the right to be accompanied by a service animal trained to assist the person with his or her specific disability in any of the places listed in G.S. 168-3, and has the right to keep the service animal on any premises the person leases, rents, or uses.