Contributed by Brenna Bourassa
On March 5, 2017, Sebastien had his first seizure. Luckily, we were already in Seattle scheduled to be at Seattle Children's Hospital the next day for a different diagnosis (which ended up being a mis-diagnosis).We ended up being admitted and released a few days later. We've had EEGs, MRIs, CTs, genetic testing and pretty much no answers.
What we do know... Seizures are still happening, but not as often since he's been on anti-seizure medication.
He has had many developmental regressions. We are having to re-learn things that we already had mastered.
He has lower than normal muscle tone. PT and OT has helped tremendously.
There is a possibility that Sebastien has a childhood movement disorder. We will be doing further testing in 2018 depending on progress that's been made between now and then. They don't want to diagnose him with something too soon that he could potentially grow out of.
4 Paws for Ability is giving Sebastien the chance to learn how to be more independent in a multitude of forms:
• Seizure Alert Dog: Many of Seb's seizures happen after he's asleep. Many nights, this mama has shared the bed with Seb out of fear that he might have a big one and I won't be there to know or address it. The seizure alert dog would give Seb the chance to have his own room and hopefully, both of us would get more restful sleep.
• Tethering: Seb often fixates on things and blocks out anyone talking. Sometimes it leads to me chasing him to prevent him from getting too far away from me. When he's fixated on an object (like at a store), often times it takes a wave of big movement to break his attention away. A service dog will help keep him on track with me and prevent him from wandering off and potentially getting hurt.
• Sensory Intervention: Seb has some sensory processing issues and communication issues. This can lead to major lash outs, i.e. throwing things, slapping, kicking etc. This can lead to himself or someone near him getting hurt. The service dog will help calm him when he is sensory overloaded and try to help him cope with his feelings.
Anything you can give would be greatly appreciated. We are so excited for this service dog. We believe this will change his entire life!
To donate to my fundraiser and help me raise fund, please visit www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/brenna-bourassa/4PawsforSeb.
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Many thanks for your support!
