Young Axel Hill of Amarillo has a tough road ahead of him. Born with a hole in his heart valve, Axel began having seizures as a 1-year-old. He didn’t have another one until he was 3, but now, at age 5, he is having big seizures at least once a week, according to his grandmother, Kimberly Brinkley.
“He also has epileptic seizures, where he just stares off into space two or three times a day,” his grandmother said.
Brinkley and her husband, Justin Hill, legally adopted Axel and his three siblings, all of whom have special needs. “They don’t know the cause of it,” she said, “they’re going to do genetic testing on him, and he’s on two different seizure medications, but it’s not stopped them all the time.”
One of the situations that makes the condition even more dangerous is that Axel often has his biggest epileptic seizures while he is sleeping, which makes it hard to detect, and it’s hard to stay up and watch him 24/7, according to Brinkley.
The problem could be greatly helped by having a service dog — which his grandparents quickly found doesn’t come cheap.
“Service dogs can be up to $30,000,” Brinkley said. “But we found a woman in Amarillo who raises and trains them for around $6,000, thanks to help from the CVMA motorcycle group.”
The couple have already adopted the dog, Zen, a part border collie/husky mix, which has had some training but needs the specialized kind of training Axel’s condition requires.
“Zen has already been able to recognize irregular heart rhythms in Axel,” Brinkley said, with hope.
They have begun some fundraising including a Poker Run, and they have had help from the Amarillo motorcycle group, Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (CVMA), who helps military veterans as well.
A car wash to help pay for the training for the dog is to take place at the Auto Zone on 47th Avenue and Washington Street in Amarillo this weekend, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 20.
A Benefit Poker Run fundraiser will be held on Aug. 1, starting at 12 p.m. with registration at Skooterz Bar & Grill on Sixth Street and then running through Borger and Pampa and ending up at Zombiez Bar & Grill in Amarillo. The event will feature raffle/auctions, food, and high and low hand winners.
Kickstands up will be at 1 p.m., and the last bike in will be at 6 p.m. at Zombiez.
All proceeds will go to canine services for Axel.
You can find more information on a Facebook page called Axel’s Ride 4 a Service Dog.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo boy with a medical condition needs a trained service dog
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News | USA TODAY Network
