Kathy & Rayne Lisam

From a Mother’s Heart: Our Story

I never imagined I would be writing this. Asking for help does not come easily to me—but protecting my daughter and giving her a chance at a healthy, meaningful life matters more than my desire to stay silent.

I am a mother to an incredible autistic teenage girl. She is intelligent, kind, deeply empathetic, and sensitive to a world that often feels too loud, too fast, and too overwhelming. Along with autism, she lives with severe social anxiety that makes everyday activities—school, public spaces, family gatherings, and even medical appointments—feel overwhelming and exhausting. I watch her push through daily, and I know how much harder life is for her without the right supports.

A professionally trained service dog could change her life—and I want to share why, in her own words.

My daughter explains it this way:

“Most of the time, I like to keep to myself. I’m a generally quiet person, save when I’m in a good mood and with those close to me. Anywhere outside of the house is extremely stressful, especially places with a lot of people, and when there are too many smells and sounds. There aren’t many things that can make those places less stressful.

I try to distract myself by reading on my iPad, but if that’s not possible, I usually turn to cuddling a familiar dog. To me, dogs are far better than people, and I would much rather be in a dog’s company than a human’s. However, most places I find stressful aren’t places where dogs are allowed, and that makes things much harder.

Being able to take a service dog with me to places where I don’t do well would be extremely helpful. It would be one less thing to worry about. When my family travels, having a service dog would help me feel comfortable in unfamiliar places and not have to be separated for long periods of time. I also have trouble knowing where to focus my gaze in crowded areas, so having a service dog to center my attention would really help.

I still want to enjoy simple things, like going out to my favorite boba or ramen place.”

As her mother, I see how real this need is. A service dog would not just offer companionship—it would provide grounding, emotional regulation, and a sense of safety that allows her to participate in daily life. This isn’t about convenience; it’s about giving my daughter access to the world in a way that feels manageable and safe.

At the same time, our family has been facing a hidden and devastating health crisis. For years, we unknowingly lived in a home contaminated by toxic mold. What we thought was a safe place slowly made us sick. Both my daughter and I have since been diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and other chronic health challenges related to long‑term mold exposure.

Living with mold illness has affected every part of our lives—our energy, our cognition, our immune systems, and our emotional well‑being. Doctors have been clear: healing is not possible unless we leave the contaminated environment and properly remediate the home. That means temporary relocation and professional mold remediation, neither of which are covered by insurance.

As if that were not enough, I have also been battling recurrent bilateral facial paralysis for several years. This rare condition has required constant medical care, including physical therapy, repeated injections, surgeries, medications, extensive testing, and frequent visits with specialists. Managing this condition while caring for my daughter and navigating mold illness has taken a tremendous physical, emotional, and financial toll.

I am doing everything I can—but I cannot do this alone.

This fundraiser is hosted through Help Hope Live, a nonprofit organization that has verified all of our medical diagnoses through licensed medical professionals. Donations are tax‑deductible and carefully managed to ensure funds are used only for approved medical and recovery‑related expenses.

Help Hope Live also participates in many employer matching gift programs. If your employer offers donation matching, your gift may be doubled—or even tripled—at no additional cost to you, significantly increasing the impact of your support.

Your support helps us pursue:

A trained service dog for my autistic daughter

Temporary relocation to a safe, mold‑free environment

Professional mold remediation of our home

Ongoing medical care for CIRS, chronic illness, and facial paralysis

If you are able to donate or share our story, you are helping a child gain independence, helping a mother continue critical medical care, and giving our family a chance to heal. From the deepest place in my heart—thank you for seeing us, supporting us, and helping us move forward.