News Center 7's Molly Koweek reported why her parents believe a service dog could help the entire family.
Karly is outgoing, bubbly and full of energy. Her parents, however, are full of worry.
As 20-month-old Karly sleeps in her crib, her mother, Melynda Coil, said she can’t sleep because she is worried something will happen and her little girl won’t wake up.
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“I’m afraid that I’m going to walk into Karly’s room one time when she’s taking a nap or in the middle of the night and she’s not going to be breathing,” she said.
Karly has had serious health complications after since she was born at 35 weeks.
“We started noticing that she would stop breathing when she was sleeping and she would turn blue, so found out she had central sleep apnea. And then a few weeks later we started noticing she was shaking and her eyes would shake and her head would shake,” she said.
Karly’s mom said a service dog could alert them to the seizure's in advance, and prevent Karly from getting hurt.
“The dog can slide under her, put his head underneath her so she’s not hitting the ground,” she said.
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But a fully trained service dog costs $17,000 — an amount out of reach for a family already with big medical expenses.
Karly's younger brother Michael was born six weeks early.
And 27-year-old Melynda Coil fought cancer for five years.
“I am cancer-free, just after my hysterectomy I had about eight weeks ago,” she said.
The Coils already raised about $9,800.
“A lot of people have pulled through and have surprised us and donated things to us,” she said.
The Coil family is in a rush to get this money raised, because even after they have the $17,000, they said it’s another two-year wait until they can actually get the dog.
If you would like to help Karly, you can donate here.
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