A Tampa woman's service dog has become, appropriately, one of her best friends.
But the dog's recent, unexplained seizures are now their worst enemy.
The dog, named Cow, had helped Lindsay Simms return to living a normal life again after years of pain and blood pressure disorders left her nearly immobile and housebound.
Cow is able to sense oncoming blood pressure spikes and drops in Simms, and can protect her if she passes out and can get help if she needs it. And on a day to day basis helps Simms with physical support while doing activities like standing up, and walking.
Cow, who is about 6 years old, just a few weeks ago suffered a seizure. It was shocking for Simms. And then Cow suffered another seizure.
The unexplained seizures have left Simms unable to depend on Cow, which means Simms is once again housebound.
In order to find out what’s causing the seizures, and to determine whether Cow is able to continue working, Cow will need to undergo an MRI, at a cost of around $3,500.
The family has already paid over $2,000 in emergency room vet bills alone, and those bills, combined with Simms own medical expenses, leave the full cost of an MRI financially out of the question for them.
But without the MRI, Simms will have to retire Cow immediately, and without her service dog, Simms loses her independence and ability to function in public.
Every little bit counts and if you can donate even just a little bit of money, it could go a long way to helping the family.
They are holding a fundraiser at the Beef O'Bradys on S. MacDill Avenue in Tampa on Friday, December 15 from 5pm to 8pm.
They've also made it easy to donate online, by clicking HERE.
