TYLER, Texas — A Smith County family is urgently working to raise funds for a seizure-alert service dog for their 3-year-old son after a recent epilepsy diagnosis that has left them managing daily, unpredictable medical emergencies.
Family members said Tripp can experience multiple seizures a day, and at times, dozens within a single hospital observation period.
“Every minute feels like an eternity,” his mother Shauna Nicol said.
Tripp’s seizures began in infancy and were first linked to illness. After more than a year of hospital visits without answers, he was diagnosed with generalized epilepsy earlier this year following a significant episode at home.
“There’s a fear of falling asleep and not waking up to something happening,” Nicol said.
Nicol said Tripp’s seizures can range from brief staring spells to full convulsive episodes, often triggered or worsened by fever, overheating, or illness.
On some days, she said, he may experience several episodes and during one hospital stay, she said he had more than 40 seizures in 12 hours.
The family said a trained seizure-alert service dog could provide critical early warning.
“You have time to get rescue medication. You have time to be prepared,” she said.
But the cost is high. Service dogs trained for seizure detection can take years to complete and often cost around $50,000, with long waiting lists through nonprofit organizations.
“We needed it yesterday,” Susan Branin said. “You never know what is going to happen with him.”
Branin, who has been helping lead fundraising efforts, said the unpredictability of Tripp’s condition makes waiting impossible for the family.
“You have to be prepared at all times,” she said. “Not everybody can just pick him up and go to the park without thinking through everything first.”
The family says they are now leaning heavily on community support, organizing fundraisers and donation-based sales to help bridge the gap.
Moore, who founded the nonprofit Embracing Hope after losing her own daughter to epilepsy-related complications, said the mission has become deeply personal.
“I lost my hope at one point,” she said. “Now I just want to help save other lives.”
For Nicol, the goal is simple. She wants more stability for her son and a chance for him to experience childhood without constant interruption from medical emergencies.
“He just wants to be a kid,” she said.
The family has launched a fundraiser to help raise money for Tripp’s seizure-alert service dog. They’ve also organized a donation-based sale, with 100% of proceeds going directly toward his care and the cost of the dog.
