Carla Chrzan

🐾 The Big Announcement

• The Mission: Raising funds for a year-long service dog training program with Medical Mutts.

• The Partnership: Carla and her newly adopted 14-month-old rescue pup.

• The Protection: Fundraising through Help Hope Live ensures all donations are tax-deductible and safely protect Carla’s SSI benefits.

🐕 Meet My New Teammate!

I recently began fostering a sweet, spunky, and curious rescue dog, and I am officially adopting her! She has a brilliant mind and a natural love for fetching. These traits make her the perfect candidate for service work.

Through the Medical Mutts program, she will learn to:

• Alert to Flares: She will detect dangerous heart rate spikes and chemical changes before they happen.

• Retrieve Vital Items: She will fetch my medications, electrolyte drinks, or my dropped phone.

• Provide Nervous System Support: She will use Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) to help my body recover during a severe pain flare.

🩺 Living with Complex Chronic Illness

For years, I have been managing a difficult cluster of lifelong conditions:

• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS): Causes fragile, unstable joints that subluxate easily.

• POTS: Causes sudden dizziness, fainting, and dangerous heart rate spikes.

• Fibromyalgia & ME/CFS: Causes widespread chronic pain and profound exhaustion.

• Chronic Migraines: Causes debilitating neurological pain.

Because of EDS and POTS, a simple task like bending over to pick up an item can trigger a dangerous heart rate spike or dislocate a joint. A service dog won’t cure me, but she will give me independence, physical safety, and peace of mind.

💰 The Financial Reality & Milestones

• Total Program Cost: $3,330 (Includes curriculum, intake fees, and specialized gear).

• My Income: $994 per month through SSI, which barely covers my basic living expenses.

• First Major Goal: $390 to secure our spot in the upcoming Foundation class blocks.

💝 How You Can Help

• Donate: Any amount helps us reach our first $390 class block.

• Share: Forwarding this page to your network is just as valuable as a donation.

Thank you so much for your kindness, support, and encouragement on this journey!