Becca: the ultimate survivor

[Judy Vorfeld]

Written by Nancy Tally. Becca Tally's life can be summed up in the word traumatic. If Becca's life had been different I believe she would currently be standing right beside Elizabeth, her twin sister, in the ranks of the US Air Force.

But Becca's energy since infancy has been consumed in different kinds of life-threatening battles.

The battle of being premature; battles against proteus spinal meningitis, encephalitis, hydrocephalus, seizure disorder, pertussis, misdiagnosis due to human arrogance and indifference, invasive procedures, medication side effects, asthma, allergies, and public school administrators with "hidden agendas." Later battles consisted of years of no services and no placement then an ischemic stroke destroyed the right side of her brain.

Early childhood was tortuous consisting of intervention classes, therapy and doctor appointments punctuated by regular twelve-hour visits in the E.R. for multi hour-long seizures, leaving us both drained for days afterward. Adolescence saw the seizures worsen; five years of experiencing a 2.5 hour grand mal seizure every twenty eight days. Daily petit mals numbered in the hundreds. Unfortunately for us those days were well before Karen started 4 Paws, before seizure alert dogs were understood.

Now twenty six, Becca has watched everyone she knew: sibs, friends, neighbors grow up and move on with their lives. The most heart-wrenching times for me are when she verbalizes her awareness of what she does not have. The times when Becca would cry at the door after her sister left, saying, "I want to be Beth, I want to be Beth."

This is a young woman who has long needed a companion, a treasure, whose stay would not be as brief as all the other wonderful people who have passed through her life.

Becca has always been resistant to transitioning from one activity to another. If we do not set the right hook before trying to get her to do something else, she frequently becomes combative. Not a problem if we are both home as she is easily distractible. But if only one person is here, problems arise because when she is focused on getting you, she is not open to the distractions you present.

We need that treasured companion. A small behavior mod intervention from a 4 Paws dog will remove the potential of the caregiver being physically harmed by calming Becca and alleviating unnecessary stress from Becca's life.

Becca's dog will be trained to track. Becca can move very quickly on flat ground. On one side of our home there is a town house complex full of nooks and crannies to walk into and plenty of car traffic. Across the street is a forest preserve complete with lakes. I cannot tell you the panic I feel on those occasions when she escapes and is out of view before I get out the door. Which way do I go first? Which way did she go?

A mall escape is even scarier. She's only four foot ten inches, and if you blink or look at a display for fifteen seconds she can disappear amidst the racks. Her dog would also be used to tether her to me so I could actually stop and look at an item without her vanishing. She could actually come with me instead of being left behind at home where she feels excluded once again. I have stopped taking her out with me because she has disappeared for forty-five minutes at a clip in the mall. My heart can't take that anymore.

Our lives are based on trust. Becca trusts us to meet her needs and to protect her, and her service dog will trust her to meet their needs (room to grow in responsibility) and as we trust God to meet ours.

It is time for Becca to have a best friend and the improved life a service dog can provide. It is past time to have help identifying devastating nighttime seizures. It is time to be alerted to the quiet devastating seizures, to be able to obtain middle of the night medical intervention as needed.

Becca has triumphed. My little warrior has fought her battles undeterred by severe wounds and insurmountable obstacles. She has emerged victorious.

If you are interested in learning more about Becca's battles her website will be up soon. We will also share the fun parts of Becca's life. The camps she loves, the programs she enjoys, her delight of music and the groups she belongs to.

If you wish to help her now, send your tax deductible check to 4 Paws for Ability with her name, Rebecca Tally, in the memo line.

Note: I highly endorse 4 Paws for Ability as a source for extremely well-trained service dogs. The organization is sound and its goals exceptional. Judy Vorfeld.