Laura, a native of Enfield, CT, is now in her senior year at the prestigious Wellesley College in Massachusetts. A few years ago, things began to happen to Laura and it was difficult to get a diagnosis. But when she did--it was a frightening one.

She has conditions – Cataplexy and Narcolepsy – that are terrifying. They cause her muscles to become paralyzed and she loses consciousness with no advance warning. 

Fortunately, Laura has YOU, and because of YOU, she has ECAD. 

And soon she will have the assistance of a Service Dog that YOU have made possible. And this will give her the independence, that at age 20, she craves.

“We don’t live so far away so my parents and I attended ECAD’s open house two years ago and I started to think about getting a Service Dog,” Laura recalls. 

Because of her conditions, Laura has been hesitant and afraid to go out alone.

“After I attend Team Training and have my very own Service Dog, I will be able to go places by myself because my Service Dog will know what to do when I have an attack. He or she won’t leave me alone and can help break the fall.  Also, if I fall asleep in the wrong place, my Service Dog will know to wake me up,” Laura says. 

Lu Picard is confident that, in time, when the two have been together for a while, Laura’s Service Dog will sense the onset of an Cataplexy or Narcolepsy attack and alert Laura so she can get to a  safe place. 

Laura’s future will be a safer, more independent one because of YOU and the support you give to ECAD – the financial support that enables instructors to teach the Service Dogs in Training  the skills that will help Laura. 

An added plus – Laura wants to be a teacher – so there are future students out there who will be grateful to YOU, too.

Would you be willing to invest changing more lives like Laura's?