BELLEVILLE – This Christmas, a local 14-year-old hopes to celebrate with her forever family — and, soon, her “forever dog.”
Belleville’s Kassie, 14, is raising money to adopt a service dog to help manage her seizures. Kassie began experiencing seizures at age 11. On Thanksgiving, she experienced three seizures in one day. As the seizures have worsened, her family and doctor agree that a service dog could go a long way in aiding Kassie’s safety and independence.
“It would really help me with getting through school and checking up on me and stuff, and snapping me out of my absence seizures that I have,” Kassie said. “It would just be really nice to have a dog right there with me.”
The dog would be trained to cushion Kassie’s head and alert the first person it sees that she has experienced a seizure. It could also learn how to retrieve rescue meds. Once the dog gets help, it will lie beside Kassie until she wakes up.
On Thanksgiving, Kassie nearly fell down the stairs as she began to seize. The dog would be able to prevent injuries like this.
Additionally, the dog will provide companionship and allow Kassie to do things on her own. Kassie’s mom, Amanda, noted that Kassie is about to enter high school and recently joined the color guard team. As she grows up, her family wants to see her thrive and enjoy her independence.
Kassie and the dog will take care of each other, as the dog will be Kassie’s responsibility, and she looks forward to bonding with it. She would like either a female golden retriever or German shepherd. She has a few names in mind, but said she will have to wait to meet the dog to get a sense of its personality before she names it.
“I want to get the dog and be able to be around it. It’s going to be a dog that I have to take care of, so then I can play with it and stuff,” she explained. “I want to get to play with it because that would be so much fun, playing with a dog.”
Community members can help Kassie achieve this goal by donating to her GoFundMe. Kassie said it’s been amazing to see people resonate with her story and donate to her cause. She keeps people updated on her Facebook page, The Kassie Project, and she hopes more people will find it in their hearts to give so she can get the dog she needs.
“It makes me so happy that people are actually helping me do this,” she said. “My mom is also helping me, and my aunt and a whole bunch of other people. It means so much to me.”
Amanda added that Kassie is a “bubbly and funny” teen who loves dancing and singing. She shared that she is in the process of adopting Kassie and her two sisters, and she is proud of how her daughters have grown since they’ve been with her. She hopes Kassie can get her dog so she can be surrounded by all the love she deserves.
“It would mean the world to us if she’s able to get one, just for her safety,” Amanda said. “That way she’ll have her forever family and, hopefully, her forever dog.”
For more information about The Kassie Project, visit the official Facebook page. To read more and donate to Kassie’s GoFundMe, click here.
