Skye Hill

Family and friends of Skye Hill are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Skye has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover medical and related expenses.

I recently received a diagnosis of PTSD. This adds to the anxiety and depression I have had for as long as I can remember. The PTSD makes me extremely afraid and suspicious of people. Even going to the store is hard for me. I don’t like to leave my house because I feel unsafe when I do. It also makes it nearly impossible for me to meet new people, let alone build any sort of trust.

Some of you may know me well enough that is comes as a surprise. The cheerful, friendly person you know is a mask, a defense mechanism to seem normal and avoid attention. I learned to mimic normal behavior almost perfectly so I could fly below the radar and observe others with minimal interactions.

In order to help me feel safer and more comfortable in life, I am going to buy and train a puppy to be a psychiatric service dog for me. I need help raising the $2,500 for the puppy, $6,000 to $7,000 needed to fully train the dog at a local kennel, plus food, toys, supplies, and vet care.

A service dog will mean the difference between living and merely surviving. The dog will be trained to do deep pressure therapy to help calm anxiety, non-protective boundary control to keep my safety bubble intact, and what I call the “evac button”. That is a hand signal for the dog to come and paw or nudge you so you can leave an uncomfortable situation under the guise of taking your dog out to potty. The presence of the dog will give me the confidence and security I need to truly live my life. I appreciate every person who helps me achieve my goal of having a service dog, and I will always wish you the best in life for helping me find my best life.