ICYMI: Campaign Started to Raise Money to Secure Service Dog For West Islip Man With PTSD

In case you missed it, here's a story that appeared last week in West Islip Patch:

A fundraising campaign was recently created to help out a West Islip man with post traumatic stress disorder raise enough money to get a service dog.

The campaign was created on GoFundMe by a friend Elizabeth Braun on behalf of local resident Chris Hillier, who worked at the World Financial Center, across the street from where the World Trade Center towers stood, at the time of the Sept. 11 attack.

According to the page, Hillier was classified as a 9/11 first responder as a result of his actions that day. He helped fire and police to coordinate ferries and evacuate the downtown area.

"While others watched the horrors of that day unfold on television, I dodged the falling bodies of those who jumped, I smelled the smoke, I looked on as a couple in one window held hands, kissed, and jumped to their deaths, their bodies crashing to the pavement at my feet," he wrote on a message posted on the page.

As a result of his experience, Hillier was diagnosed with obstructive airway disease, obstructive sleep apnea, malignant neoplasm of the skin, GERD, RADS, severe PTSD and psychogenic seizures, according to the page.

He currently works with the Feel Good Foundation, a Nesconset based non-profit that raises awareness on the various problems, concerns and issues faced by First Responders in their everyday duties, to speak to Senators and Congressmen to get the James Zadroga 911 Health and Compensation Act reauthorized.

"Continuing to help others helps keep me strong," Hillier wrote.

However, his seizure disorder continued to get worse and he now faces the possibility of losing his driver's license.

He is hoping to avoid that by securing a service animal through the Faithful Friends Service Dog Foundation, which would be able to assist him with everyday tasks as well as sense an oncoming seizure before it hits, bring medication, summon help during a seizure, hit an emergency button pre-programmed to call 911, wake him from night terrors, prevent panic situations and sense any change in mental status.

However, each service dog, due to their extensive training, costs a total of $20,000 - a price he cannot afford.

"If I were to have the benefit of a service animal I would be allowed to keep driving, to be an even more active part of the world and to keep helping others," he wrote.

The page was created on Tuesday and in one day, has raised a total of $7,057.
To learn more or to donate, visit:https://www.gofundme.com/chris....