South Minneapolis family starts fundraiser for seizure alert dog for daughter

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Like the parents of any toddler, Lauren Stenzel and Iscar Lugo keep a close eye on their daughter Eloise. But the consequences of leaving their two-and-a-half-year-old girl unsupervised could end up being catastrophic.

"You feel so tired because you are working 24/7 taking care of the most precious thing that is your daughter.  So it's a non-stop job for us," said Lugo.

Eloise had her first life-threatening seizure when she was just 5 months old. She was eventually diagnosed with a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome.

So her parents set up an elaborate monitoring system, including cameras above her bed, movement detectors under her mattress, and a machine that measures the oxygen level in her blood so they can identify and respond to her seizures quickly.

"If she were to have a long seizure, and we miss it, her body doesn't have the capability to stop it so she would stop breathing. her brain would stop working and there's a large chance that she could pass away," said Lugo.

Now the couple is hoping to put another set of eyes on Eloise by adding a seizure alert dog to their family.

They have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $25,000 to buy and train a red English labrador puppy they will name Jake to help keep Eloise safe.

"Overnight, that is one of the times when we are not watching her the entire night, a seizure dog will be able to detect if something is happening faster than us, probably faster than a device she is wearing," said Stenzel.

Since there is no cure for Dravet Syndrome, Eloise will never be completely seizure-free.

But her parents believe having a constant canine companion will help her chances of living a fuller life.

"The quicker that happens, the quicker we can have the dog in our home with us and start adapting to life and have this new member of our family that we believe will be invaluable," said Stenzel. If you would like to donate, click here.