Hello, thank you for taking the time to read my daughter’s story. Kayleigh is 14 and loves spending time with her family and friends. Kayleigh has a love for all things food! She loves to browse recipes, look for new foods to try, and to cook. Kayleigh has a love for cheerleading and now tennis. We are blessed to live in a supportive community that offers all-inclusive sports for children with special needs. Kayleigh was born at 24 weeks and five days, due to a placental abruption. During the birthing process, there was a loss of oxygen. Kayleigh was shortly diagnosed with grade 4 brain bleeds shortly after birth. Within two weeks, we were told that she had a condition called hydrocephalus. This condition causes her brain to not drain cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Instead, the fluid builds in her brain, creating pressure on the brain itself, and in turn can cause trauma. Shortly after the diagnoses, Kayleigh was in surgery to place a tube from her belly to her abdomen to drain the fluid off her brain. Since her first surgery, at about 3 weeks of age, Kayleigh has had over 20 brain surgeries. The most recent bought of brain surgeries in 2019, caused her to be in the hospital for almost a month and throughout that month she had a total of 5 brain surgeries! Hydrocephalus, and the headaches that come with is, can be tricky for the neurosurgeons to figure out. Along with Kayleigh’s hydrocephalus diagnosis, she also has autism, cerebral palsy, anxiety, and a seizure disorder.
Kayleigh is an amazing child. She loves to laugh and has a great personality. One of the things she enjoys most, is cooking. Her personality puts a smile on any one’s face but during her day-to-day life, she has many obstacles to overcome. Since Kayleigh has had brain trauma and has Autism, she struggles with emotional regulation. This can be extremely hard for Kayleigh to overcome. A service dog would provide Kayleigh emotional support. Helping her relax in high stress situations when she doesn’t understand how to regulate her emotions and provide her with a friend. Kayleigh also struggles with gross motor tasks. She is often off balance, has trouble going from sitting to standing, retrieving items, and at times carrying things while walking. A service dog will be able to increase her independence and help her with these tasks.
We are so excited to have been given the chance for Kayleigh to have a service dog in our home. Currently, we are on a mission to raise the money necessary to cover the cost of training and caring for the service dog. At this time, we are in need of $15,000. We are truly so appreciative of any support that can be given to get us a step closer to this goal! We know that Kayleigh having the opportunity to have a service dog stand beside her on a daily basis, will bring so much relief to her life and give her a friend that she is so deserving of. Thank you again, for taking the time to read Kayleigh’s story.
If you are able to help in anyway, here is how you can,
Donations in support of Kayleigh should be made directly to 4 Paws for Ability – be sure to write Kayleigh’s name on the memo line. Mail checks to:
4 Paws for Ability
In Honor of Kayleigh Arumugam
253 Dayton Ave.
Xenia, Ohio, 45385.If you wish to make an online donation, the website is www.4pawsforability.org/donate-now (Links to an external site.) .Include Kayleigh’s name in the memo line so that the amount is credited to his account!