Meet 2-year old Seumas Murray. Seumas was diagnosed with a mutation of his KCNQ3 gene, a condition that causes developmental delays, seizures and vision impairment. There are currently less than 50 known cases of the condition worldwide.
Seumas’ dad, Greg Murray, is one of National Life’s own, currently working as an Inbound Specialist in Document Management Services (DMS). Greg and his family, including wife Lexie and Seumas’ two brothers, have been working with doctors and therapists to learn more about the rare condition and how to approach treatment.
One of the ways they’re hoping to help Seumas is with a service dog. “Like all parents, we just want to give him the best possible outcome, ” Lexie said. “We want to give him the possibility of as much independence as he might be able to have as he gets older.” The family has been working with 4 Paws For Ability, a non-profit organization that connects children with service dogs.
Training a specialized service dog for Seumas does not come without a cost, however. Expenses usually range between $40,000 and $60,000, and Greg and Lexie are responsible for $17,000 of these funds. If they’re able to raise all of the necessary funds, Seumas will have a therapy dog by the time he’s five years old.
If you’d like to help, or read more about Seumas’ story, visit their fundraising page at https://www.mightycause.com/story/4pawsforseumas. You can also watch WPTZ’s story featuring Seumas at https://www.mynbc5.com/article/toddler-with-special-needs-seeks-service-dog/25781222.