My Nightmare on Christmas
What happens when your Emotional Support Animal falls down and can’t get up?
Unfortunately, there are no life-alert-type resources for pets.
(For more info on what an ESA is and for donations, click the “Donate” button below.)
Hi, I’m Taryn but you can call me Tee and I have a (currently disabled) Emotional Support Animal (ESA), a sweet female pittie named Shi’loh, to help me navigate life with neurodivergence/disability.
As you can see Shi’loh wasn’t always other abilitied.
The difference she has made in my life and continues to make I cannot even begin to explain. We get what we need in life sometimes and I believe she indeed chose me. Even when I first went to meet her when she was just 3 months old, she ran up to me as I walked in. It was love at first sight.
She has been there for me through some of my greatest and most difficult life transitions, from completing my Master’s program in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy to times dealing with mental health, grief, medical illnesses, and so much more … making those times more bearable and giving me hope, inspiration, and motivation to keep going.
Even nowadays, during this trying time, her eagerness to remain independent and live in the present is a gentle reminder to express gratitude and be mindful of my energy.
She somehow still finds a way to support me emotionally.
It’s truly amazing how “dogs” don’t live in the past. (I quote “dog” because she’s definitely more of my fur child)
Imagine my nightmare of already managing grief and loss during the holiday season and from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day Shi’loh went from having what seemed a minor difficulty, to screeching so loud and immediately going into a trance-like state. Now I’m usually good with chaos, but I completely panicked. I have never seen her react like this. I could feel the fear. The pants and drools were so loud I almost froze in response. I learned that she potentially had a spinal seizure.
She became paralyzed in her hind legs. (At this time, the prognosis of whether the paralysis is temporary or permanent is inconclusive).
There were no definitive surgeries or medical treatments besides rehabilitation and time.
The rehabilitation and transitioning of her environments for special needs pets is an ongoing process. I have invested so much financially and adjusted my life and work schedule to be her full-time caregiver during this time and would appreciate any beneficial resources, support, prayers, and (financial) support.
Please consider helping me continue to support Shi’loh in ensuring she gets to continue having the best quality of life. She is only 8 years old and has so much life and joy inside of her. Helping Shi’loh will help me succeed in life despite both of our other abilities.
Please click below to donate using any of the links including, her GoFundMe link. Let’s support her intensive rehabilitation treatment, special needs resources, and quality of life by extending to her the same love and care she has extended to the world in her joyous years so far. Shop her Amazon list. Invest in my Top 10 charted self-help mental health workbook for yourself or a loved one using discount code SHILOH
Prayers and hopes for good wishes. Resources you know of. Anything will help.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
For more information on Emotional Support Animals feel free to do your own extra diligence in researching, but can also visit:
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/everything-about-emotional-support-animals/
