Texas town rallies to raise $50,000 to get a seizure dog for police chief’s ill nine-year-old daughter
A small town in Texas has come together to raise $50,000 for the police chief’s ailing daughter, who has epilepsy and needs an attack dog.
Delvon Campbell has served on the Decatur Police Department for more than 20 years and has three children with his wife, Ashley: 15-year-old Addison and 9-year-old twins Kynadee and Ryleigh.
Kynadee was born at 28 weeks and weighed just 1.4 pounds. She had respiratory and lung complications, as well as cerebral palsy and epilepsy, affiliated with ABC WFAA reported.
She has dealt with medical problems her entire life, but she experiences an increase in seizures that can cause her to stop breathing.
Delvon Campbell, the police chief in Decatur, Texas, has three children – 15-year-old Addison and nine-year-old twins Kynadee and Ryleigh – with his wife Ashley.
Kynadee, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, has suffered severe seizures. Her doctor recommended an attack dog, which can cost up to $60,000
Delvon told ABC affiliate WFAA he was “in shock and awe” after his local community came together to raise money for the special dog
Delvon told me Wise provincial messenger that his daughter had been having seizures for a few years, but that they were able to control them with medication.
“The seizures started to become more frequent and changed from the normal seizures she had previously had,” the father explained in September.
“She pretty much had multiple seizures in a row, and none of the medications worked.”
Over Labor Day weekend, Kynadee was admitted to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, and suffered 25 seizures.
Her parents recalled how she began to aspirate and was placed on a ventilator, where she remained for 15 days.
“It didn’t matter what we did, they didn’t stop,” Ashley told WFAA of her daughter’s seizures. “We’ve almost lost her several times.”
Kynadee spent 30 days in the hospital before she was able to return home, but she still has severe seizures.
Her twin brother, Ryliegh, admitted to the local news station that she can’t sleep because she’s “afraid (that Kynadee) will have a seizure in the middle of the night.”
When Kynadee was born at 28 weeks, she weighed just 1.4 pounds and had breathing and lung complications
The little girl has had medical problems all her life, including seizures, which have become more common recently
Kynadee’s neurologist recommended an attack dog, which is trained to perform specific behaviors during or after a seizure.
Ashley said these special dogs cost a minimum of $30,000, but the price could go up to $60,000, in addition to their daughter’s mounting medical bills.
a GoFundMe was founded by the Decatur community on behalf of Kynadee with the goal of raising $50,000 to pay for a seized dog and her treatment.
So far they have raised over $41,000.
The police chief said he is “shocked and awed” by the generosity his family has seen from the people of Decatur.
“A lot of people we’ve never met before are sending messages saying they’re praying for her,” his wife added.
Over Labor Day weekend alone, Kynadee suffered 25 seizures and spent 30 days in the hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator.
Kynadee’s twin brother, Ryliegh, admitted to the local news station that she can’t sleep because she’s “afraid (her sister) is going to have a seizure in the middle of the night.”
Decatur locals have already raised more than $41,000 for the family. “A lot of people we’ve never met before are sending messages saying they’re praying for her,” Ashley said
“This is what makes Decatur Decatur in my opinion, the way people go out of their way to help each other,” Delvon told the Wise County Messenger.
“It’s not the first time the community has helped us with Kynadee and all her disabilities.
‘It’s really great to know that you live and work in a community that does everything it can to help each other.
“You hear other people talk about their communities doing these things, but Decatur is just different.
“It’s great that you have people who go out of their way to help people and don’t ask for anything in return.”