Mikayla DeClark – MCAS Service Dog

Meet Mikayla, Mikayla is a 20 year old newly married determined loving wife, who works full time as a medical assistant at the U of U hospital and is in pre-med school. When Mikayla was 16 years old she was diagnosed with EoE she continued to have health issues and was recently hospitalized and diagnosed with 2 more chronic illnesses. Mast cell activation syndrome(MCAS) is one of the rare illnesses that effects her everyday life. She is unable to drive, go to work in person or full time and go to school due to episodes from this illness.

To help Mikayla with her everyday life, she is in need of a dog that can detect her Mast Cell episodes. Hazel is being trained to be able to detect when Mikayla is about to have a episode and pass out so she can get to a safe place. Mikayla and her husband are asking for contributions so Hazel can complete this training program.

Mikayla is a hard working, determined wife. She lives with her husband in Bountiful Utah, and is currently going to school to become a pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in Gastroenterology to some day help kids with illnesses that Mikayla deals with on a daily basis. She is also a Nationally certified medical assistant who currently works in the Kidney transplant clinic at the U of U hospital. Mikayla is very passionate about caring and helping others. She is very determined and will push through anything to pursue her goals.

Throughout high school Mikayla competed on drill team, track, and cross country. Mikayla started noticing that she was having a hard time with swallowing food. She started needing to take a drink after every bite of food to help the food go down properly. With this came severe heartburn that made it hard for Mikayla to eat. She lost 20 pounds in a couple weeks. The doctor performed an upper endoscopy on Mikayla and found that she had a narrowed esophagus due to allergies triggering a swelling response. She was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis(EoE) her sophomore year of high school. Mikayla had to adapt to a new diet free of gluten, corn, soy, potatoes, nuts, and fish based on her allergy testing. From then on she has had to learn to take her own food with her everywhere she goes so she does not risk cross contamination with her allergies.

Along with EoE, Mikayla was recently diagnosed with small fiber autonomic neuropathy and Mast Cell Activation syndrome(MCAS). Within the past year Mikayla has struggled with new symptoms that arose. She went from seeing her Gatroenterologist for her EoE every 6 months to monthly. Mikayla was unable to keep down food and water. Her body is unable to absorb water and nutrients like normal bodies do. Due to this Mikayla was put on several different diets including a completely liquid diet where she lived off of water and a meal replacement shakes made for tube feeding and oral consumption. She had a PICC line placed to give her fluids in a way her body could absorb, and is now on a feeding tube to get the nutrients her body needs. This has become the new normal for her. Through a very long process of diet changes, hospitalization and seeing lots of different specialists Mikayla was finally diagnosed with small fiber Autonomic neuropathy and Mast Cell disorder.

Mikayla is now adapting to live with a combination of chronic illnesses that have changed her life. She has to work from home part time, and is unable to drive, and go to school due to her recent episodes. These episodes cause her to get very hot, clammy, foggy brained, and unable to act for herself. This is when her doctor recommended a service dog that will be able to detect the change in her body temperature which happens before an episode so that the dog can alert her and get her to a safe place where she can work through her episode and possible syncope.

Although Mikayla is learning to cope with these episodes which are a combination of symptoms from her different chronic illnesses, Hazel would greatly improve her chances of beginning her normal life again. Mikayla’s body is always changing how her body reacts to these symptoms, from needing to get nutrients through a feeding tube, to being able to eat normally. It all depends on if her body is balanced with the correct medications and lifestyle. Hazel will allow Mikayla to sense how often her episodes happen and what needs to be changed in order to best treat her, based on the number and severity of her episodes.

Hazel is a service dog in training. She is being trained to sense the change in body temperature. When Hazel senses change in body temperature she will be able to alert Mikayla. Hazel is also being trained to alert others if Mikayla goes unconscious and is in need of help, and will then be able to stay with her and comfort her during episodes. Once Hazel is trained she will allow Mikayla to continue her healing process by helping her get out to safely exercise which helps to control autonomic neuropathy and allow her to get back into a normal life style.

The tasks Hazel will be trained to perform for Mikayla will be life changing for her .By contributing to this fundraiser, you will help Hazel complete this essential training program so she can assist and comfort Mikayla through her life altering illnesses. Mikayla and her husband thank you in advance for the support and hope you have provided.