Azalea’s Golden Guardian

Annie’s Angels is working with the Beringer family to provide a service dog for Azalea. Here is her story…

Azalea Beringer, was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome (AS) in September 2017. AS is a rare genetic disorder that affects nearly 1 in 20,000 individuals. Due to a micro-deletion in her fifteenth chromosome, Azalea struggles with balance and coordination, cognitive disabilities, and the difficulty of being non-verbal. Along with her primary diagnosis of AS, Azalea is also affected by Doose Syndrome, a progressive form of Epilepsy. Though so much is working against her, Azalea is extremely persistent and continuously blows us away with her progress. Her smile and laughter is contagious and she lights up every room she enters.

Azalea has lots of favorite things, namely music and animals (puppies, especially). Azalea’s family is working with Gilford’s Golden Guardians to find and train a Service Dog for her that will greatly improve her quality of life. Gilford’s Golden Guardians will work with her family to help select the puppy and train the dog to meet all Service Dog certification requirements, specific to Azalea’s needs. Her service dog would be trained to detect and alert seizures, including the underlying epileptic activity that contributes to the progressive nature of her disorder. The dog would be near her at all times to assist her with balance, safety and guidance. Azalea’s service dog would also be trained to help her with the anxiety she experiences due to being non-verbal, by accessing her pressure points when needed.

The training of the service dog will cost $9,500 and the dog itself will cost $3,000, a total cost of $12,500. Gilford’s Golden Guardians will help in the puppy selection process and complete the actual training with Azalea and her family.

Please consider giving to Azalea’s Furry Friend Fund. We are grateful for your generosity and thoughtful contribution.