Hillsboro family raising money for 'A Dog for Ben'

A Hillsboro family is raising funds to help one of their children achieve independence and a sense of security by providing a service dog to help him as he suffers from seizures.

Ben Ramsey, 13, is the 10th of Butch and Patty Ramsey's 12 children. When Ben was 3, he began having seizures. According to his mother, Ben had three seizures in a six-week period, then stopped having seizures for another year. When they returned, Ramsey said "they came with a vengeance," and Ben suffered from over 100 seizures a month.

After seeing many doctors and making various lifestyle adjustments over a four-year period, the Ramseys finally received a definite diagnosis for Ben's condition, cortical dysplasia, which was caused from a birth defect.

"Ben had many days he was not able to function in a normal way at all," Ramsey said. "Many days he spent sitting on the couch, unable to hold his head up, not speaking and drooling.

"Eventually, Ben was having over 50 seizures a day, and surgery became necessary to remove parts of his brain where the seizures were originating."

Ben underwent two brain surgeries in 2010, which helped reduce the number of seizures he suffers to about two per week. However, the years of seizures and brain surgery have caused developmental delays and some behavioral issues, Ramsey said.

In addition, Ben had two separate severe allergic reactions in 2013 that caused his face and tongue to swell, limiting his breathing. He was diagnosed with angioedema with an unknown trigger and must keep an epi-pen and Benadryl with him at all times.

With a constant threat of seizures and allergic triggers, the Ramseys are hoping to ease some of Ben's stress by matching him with a service dog. The Ramseys are raising funds through a program offered by www.4PawsForAbility.org. Ramsey said that when they earn enough money, they will have a 15-month wait until the dog arrives.

Donations can be made at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/benjamin-ramsey/ADogForBen or by mailing a check to 4 Paws for Ability, 253 Dayton Ave., Xenia, Ohio 45385 with Benjamin Ramsey written on your check memo.

4 Paws for Ability says that their dogs "provide a level of emotional support above and beyond what could be achieved with the addition of a family pet as well as training the dog to alert parents to seizures when they occur if not even beforehand."

"For some children, just the presence of a dog will provide a calming effect and reduce their number of seizures," Ramsey said. "Some dogs will be able to sense a seizure before it starts, providing a warning for the family and thereby reducing falls.

"The dog can be trained to respond to the word 'help,' and Ben could get the dog to alert us if he started struggling with his breathing."

Ramsey said her family hopes that having a service dog will allow Ben some more independence as well.

"Over the years we have been blessed beyond measure by those of you who have opened your hearts towards Ben," Ramsey said. "We appreciate all the prayers and kindnesses you have shown to him."