A Families Fight for Safe Nights
A Night in Jayden’s World
This is what epilepsy looks like when the lights are off.
Jayden lives with focal epilepsy and violent nocturnal seizures that happen while he sleeps. His brain does not rest the way most children’s brains do. Even in sleep, his nervous system can misfire without warning. Nights in our home are not quiet — they are watched.
The equipment beside him isn’t decoration. It’s protection. EEG monitoring helps us track seizure activity and gives us a small window into what his brain is doing when words can’t explain it. Every wire, every sensor, every machine exists because his safety depends on vigilance.
There is a reality epilepsy families live with that many people never hear about: Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, known as SUDEP. It is the unthinkable risk that seizures can carry, especially during sleep. We don’t share this to frighten — we share it because it explains why rest is complicated in our house. Parents of children with epilepsy do not sleep deeply. We listen. We wake easily. We live tuned to every breath.
Jayden’s epilepsy is part of a larger neurologic condition that also includes Autism, ADHD, and Mild Intellectual Disability. His brain processes the world differently. Tasks that seem simple for other children can take enormous effort for him. But he meets each day with determination that humbles us.
And yet — this bed is still filled with stuffed animals. Comfort still matters. Childhood still matters. Jayden is still a boy who deserves softness, warmth, and safety.
That is why we fight so hard for tools that protect him. Because behind every machine, every dog in training, every sleepless night, is a simple truth:
Every child deserves the chance to sleep safely.
When the Alarm Comes Too Late
This video is hard to watch, but it’s our reality.
Jayden is having a tonic-clonic seizure while the rest of the house is asleep. For nearly a full minute, he is seizing alone before the monitor alerts us. When the alarm finally sounds, you can hear the panic — me running, screaming for an ice pack, trying to reach him as fast as humanly possible.
A minute may not sound long.
In a seizure, it is everything.
Alarms don’t always fail completely — sometimes they’re just late. And late is dangerous. In those seconds before we reach him, Jayden is vulnerable. He cannot protect himself. He cannot call for help. He is a child alone inside a neurological storm.
This is why we fight so hard for better protection.
A trained seizure response dog could alert at the very start — not after a delay, not after a system catches up, but when Jayden’s body first changes. That difference could mean safety instead of fear. It could mean seconds that matter.
We share this not for sympathy, but for understanding. This is what epilepsy families live with when the house is quiet and the world thinks we’re sleeping.
No child should ever face a seizure alone.
You Can Help Jayden!
How You Can Help Jayden
You can help close the gap between fear and protection.
Jayden’s seizures happen without warning, often while he sleeps. Electronic monitors can fail or alert too late — and in those moments, seconds matter. A trained seizure response service dog doesn’t rely on batteries, signals, or technology.
Freya would be trained to detect seizure onset through scent, alert immediately, and stay with Jayden until help arrives.
That kind of protection changes everything.
It means Jayden is no longer alone during a seizure.
It means faster response.
It means safer nights.
It means a child who can sleep with more security — and parents who can breathe.
The cost to professionally train Freya as a service dog is $8,000. This training includes scent detection work, alert shaping, obedience foundation, and certification so she can safely perform her role as Jayden’s medical partner.
Your support is not a donation to a wish.
It is an investment in a child’s safety.
Every contribution brings Freya closer to becoming the guardian Jayden needs. And every person who helps becomes part of the reason he is protected.
No child should face a seizure alone.
Together, we can change that.
Thank You For Your Donation
Cheryl Reichle
Karen Dominas
What Jayden’s Neurologist Says
Jayden is under the care of a board-certified pediatric neurologist who has followed him for a complex, lifelong neurological condition.
According to his doctor, Jayden has developmental encephalopathy with epilepsy. This means both seizure activity and underlying brain dysfunction affect how his brain functions day to day. His condition is permanent and requires ongoing medical care, safety supervision, and multidisciplinary support.
Jayden’s diagnoses include:
• Epilepsy with focal seizures
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Mild Intellectual Disability
• ADHD
• Mixed expressive and receptive language disorder
• Developmental coordination challenges
These are not temporary delays or behavioral issues — they are medical conditions rooted in neurological impairment. His doctor documents that Jayden has marked functional limitations affecting learning, communication, motor coordination, attention, and daily safety.
Because of seizure risk, impaired judgment, and neurological instability, Jayden requires continuous supervision to stay safe. His physician confirms that his condition qualifies as a childhood disability and will require long-term support.
A seizure response service dog is considered a medically beneficial safety intervention. It provides protection during episodes and helps close the dangerous gap when electronic systems fail.
Jayden’s care is not about comfort.
It is about safety, access, and survival.
If you’re a parent in the storm of epilepsy, you’re not alone. We’ve gathered the knowledge, tools, and resources we wish we had at the beginning of this journey. Visit the resource page for downloadable guides, ebooks, and nonprofit organizations that help families navigate diagnosis, safety, and daily life. This space exists so no parent has to walk this road alone.
