Local people pitch in to help child who suffers from Aicardi Syndrome

Service dogs are an integral part of some peoples lives who are coping with chronic illness. Shaylee Jones is no exception, Shaylee, who is 5 and has Aicardi Syndrome is plagued by the possibility of seizures - as well as the risk of stopping breathing while she sleeps at night. A service dog can help by alerting her family when an emergency arises, saving her life.

A garage sale was held in Berkeley, MI to help defray the cost of a service dog. A local business donated $10,000 to the cause and 95.5's Mojo in the Morning were on site to help out.

Roop Raj of Fox 2 spent some time there, and with the help of his tweet, brought more attention to the cause. Watch the video story here.

The ability of canines - especially those that have been through training - to perceive a possible health crisis and to bring comfort to the individual that they have been carefully matched with is uncanny. A lot of work goes into the selection, training of the dogs, and then matching up human to the specialized service dog. No small feat by any means!


Lorrie Shaw is also a regular contributor to AnnArbor.com's pet section and owner of Professional Pet Sitting in Dexter Twp, MI.