Manitoba family wants service dog to help watch over daughter with epilepsy
Keanna Barbour, 3, has up to 10 seizures a week, most of them at night
The family of a rural Manitoba girl living with a serious neurological disorder is calling on people — and their pets — to help raise money for a new form of protection.
Three-year-old Keanna Barbour has a form of epilepsy that causes her to have up to 10 seizures a week.
"[There is] a little bit of brain damage every time."
Barbour said her daughter has tried multiple medications but nothing seems to work.
"We struggle day to day with it sometimes," said Barbour. "I had to recently quit my job so I could stay home with her."
Barbour watches Keanna very closely at their Ross, Man. home. She sleeps in the same room as her daughter, because 80 per cent of her seizures happen at night.
"There are some days I just want to cry but I can't because she'll cry and crying triggers a seizure," said Barbour.
Seizure response dog
Doctors have recommended the family get a seizure response dog. The service dogs are trained to bark to alert their owners when someone in the home is having a seizure.
"That would relieve a lot of stress because it would be another set of eyes and ears for her," said Barbour.
A seizure response dog can cost as much as $25,000.
The Barbour family is asking anyone interested in helping them to attend the Purina Dog Walk May 31. It raises money to provide service dogs at no cost to family's like the Barbours.
"I would just like the public to come out and sponsor Keanna at the walk and just let the world know that there's a lot of other disabilities out there."