Hey there! Thank you so much for stopping to read our daughter’s story. Vivian is 2 years old. She loves m and m’s, playing in water, being chased by her favorite people, and spending time with her parents and older brothers and sister. When she was just 11 months old she was formally diagnosed with Epilepsy that has been linked to an additional diagnosis of Neurofibromatosis Type 1. Between these two conditions, Vivian struggles with mobility, developmental delays, as well as experiencing multiple seizures a month.
After speaking with her medical team including her neurologist, pediatrician, and occupational therapist, as well as consulting with other individuals and parents of those who have similar medical struggles, we determined that Vivian would benefit from having a service animal to assist her in her day to day life. After diligent research, we found 4 Paws For Ability and were accepted into their program after an application process completed by ourselves and several of the medical professionals who work with Vivian and are familiar with her unique needs. We are now moving forward with the process to help her get a service animal that will assist her with daily tasks and help her gain more independence.
As part of this program, we have agreed to raise $20,000 for 4 Paws For Ability. It costs on average between $40,000 – $60,000 to raise, house, train, certify, and place a service dog. Though $20,000 is a lot of money, trust us; our eyes popped out initially too; the safety, security, and independence Vivian will gain from having a service animal is worth every penny to our family and we are willing to do whatever it takes to make her future as bright as she makes our lives with her warrior’s spirit.
Vivian has been approved for a multipurpose service dog who will be trained to alert in the event of a seizure, stay with her to provide deep pressure therapy immediately following a seizure to comfort and protect her while recovering from a seizure, and assist her with balance and mobility issues. Additionally, the service dog will be her constant companion and best friend who will help her family keep her safe and happy while also giving her the opportunity to exercise more independence. We firmly believe that having a service dog as her ally will be invaluable to her to becoming a happy, healthy, confident, contributing adult in the future.
Vivian is a light to everyone around her. As the youngest of four siblings, she’s learning to be tough but also that she can get away with almost anything because, as her siblings always say, ‘She’s so stinkin cute!’. She is our little warrior woman, fighting with a smirk on her face through every curve ball life has thrown at her; from hospitalizations to playing with her siblings at the local splash pad. Her strength, her inner fire, her endless drive to keep moving forward inspires us every single day. We want, more than anything, for her to grow into the most powerful version of herself that she can possibly be and believe that a service animal will be incredibly beneficial to help her fight and giggle her way through life.
If you’d like to help Vivian get her invaluable ally in her battle against the twists and turns of life, please donate directly to 4 Paws For Ability. Make sure to put Vivian Higgs on your donation so it goes to her account.
You can snail mail donations to:
4 Paws for Ability
In Honor of Vivian Higgs
253 Dayton Ave.
Xenia, Ohio, 45385
Or if digital is more your style, please donate in the space below or here, www.4pawsforability.org/donate-now with Vivian’s name in the memo line so your donation benefits her directly. Thank you so much for your time and support!
Contribute to Vivian’s dog below
Training a service dog to meet our child’s requirements can be very costly. On average it costs between $40,000-60,000 to raise, train, and place a service dog at 4 Paws for Ability. While 4 Paws for Ability fundraises to help cover a significant portion of this cost, families are tasked with raising $20,000 of that amount or $23,000 if receiving a poodle, doodle or papillon. We hope that we can receive assistance from our beloved family and friends to help make our service dog dream a reality.