Hello

My name is Vicky and I am now 21 years old.

Unfortunately, I haven't had the easiest story and I'm certainly not the only one.

At the age of 14 I was taken into care by the youth welfare office after some traumatic experiences and then lived in a residential group for several years.

Shortly after I moved in there, my life changed 180* degrees because I suddenly became mentally ill after everything that had happened.

I was admitted to a psychiatric clinic for children and adolescents for the first time and started to show signs.

Unfortunately, I started to hurt myself and didn't know what to do with all my thoughts, feelings and anger.

After a while, I started having dissociative seizures

seizures and other things, which is why I had to spend a lot of time in clinics and hospitals.

So even then I couldn't live my life like other young people my age and I was dependent on help a lot.

At some point I had to take medication and it became chronic.

At the time, I didn't realise what all this meant for me because it was all too much for me.

After a few weeks, I was diagnosed with PTSD.

I'm sure many people now think that mental illness isn't bad, but no, it hasn't. The illness has taken just as much vitality and willpower from me as someone who has cancer and has to undergo a long course of chemotherapy because PTSD takes a lot of time, a lot of therapy and, above all, a lot of attention.

Unfortunately, the illness is not as well researched and in today's society everything is played down.

You get to hear things like it's "only" psychological and you shouldn't make such a fuss, but unfortunately most people don't realise what it actually does to a person until today.

But it has taken away a lot of my vitality and zest for life, which I now have to fight hard to get back.

Since 2022 I no longer live with youth help but alone .

Also due to the loss of the protected space I have had many setbacks again which have put some obstacles in my way I was not able to work or go to school for a few months because the danger was too great that something would happen to me or I would relapse again.

I'm now on a pretty good path but the illness still puts a lot of obstacles in my way that I can't overcome on my own.

I am now on medication and have been through several therapies and hospital stays and want to find a good way that is not possible on my own.

I personally have decided that I don't want to take any more medication because the side effects are not without them and that's why I came up with the idea of a dog.

I am by nature a withdrawn person and enjoy the contact with animals.

Of course a lot has changed and improved in the last few years but the disease is still there and unfortunately the seizures still don't go away which is still extremely bad for me as I want to live my life like everyone else my age who is healthy.

After some research I came up with the idea that I would like to have an assistance dog for PTSD and hope to get back to normal life with fewer symptoms.

I realise that the illness won't go away completely, but the dog would be a huge help for me, especially now that I live alone and nobody notices when something happens.

He can recognise when it happens and even bring me medication in an emergency or calm me down and simply give me the reassurance that no one else can give me.

He can do many other things that will hopefully help me to beat my illness or contain it so that I can lead a normal everyday life like other people my age.

The dog can also go to places where no one else can go and if I am lucky even to the hospital or markets according to the law.

Just like a guide dog or similar.

So I would be very happy about every cent and euro that can be donated and help me reach my goal.

It's not meant to be begging but I would really need it because as a trainee and student I unfortunately don't have such a good income to make this possible.

And hardly anyone can get the money together on their own, but it would be super important for my future and for containing the disease.

Unfortunately, this type of training or assistance dog is not paid for by any health insurance company and you have to bear the costs completely yourself if you are dependent on it, which is unfortunately almost impossible and which is why most people are dependent on the help of strangers.

So far, the health insurance only covers the costs for a blind dog, all other assistance dogs have to be paid for out of your own pocket, which is unfortunately not possible for me as a student and trainee.

But for me it would be the last possibility without further medication and other measures.

I would be so grateful for any help and every cent!

Kind regards