On Sunday, July 23rd the Bickell Foundation is hosting its first 5k run/walk sponsored by Tito's Vodka. All proceeds will benefit our new MS Service Dog program. Whether or not you're able to join Bryan and Amanda in Chicago, you can help us raise funds by launching your own peer-to-peer fundraiser and asking your friends and family to donate on your behalf. Click "Create a Fundraising Page" to the top right or "Join the Campaign" below and create your own fundraising site!
Overview of Program: Our newest program will benefit individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis by providing to them, free of charge, a fully trained service dog. Typically, trained service dogs cost upwards of $20,000 each, which is more than most people can afford. The foundation has done much research regarding the benefits of service dogs and MS, and it shows that for those dealing with the day-to-day challenges of life with a disability, a custom trained service dog can be of enormous assistance in helping them to achieve a greater level of mobility, independence and mental health. The catalyst for this program was Bryan’s MS diagnosis in 2016. The Bickell Foundation hopes to turn the family’s personal struggle in to a positive by making a difference in the lives of others living with the debilitating disease.
How a Service Dog Benefits Someone Living with MS: Mobility assistance dogs perform a variety of tasks for their human partners, like bumping the button on automatic doors, retrieving dropped items, and bringing out-of-reach objects to hand, such as a ringing phone. Our service dogs will act as a brace for people who are ambulatory, but suffer from balance and strength issues. For dogs that will be placed with someone in a wheelchair (which is sometimes the case in more progressive cases of MS), the animal can assist with pulling a wheelchair up a ramp if necessary. A mobility assistance dog can tug open doors, close them again, turn lights on and off, and summon help by finding another person in the house. In public, the mobility assistance dog is an invaluable helper, quietly serving its partner with tasks that would be difficult or impossible to do on their own. Assistance dogs also offer therapeutic emotional support and companionship.
