Eighteen-year-old, Francesca Hardy of Los Angeles, has her sights set on
heading off to college. But the cerebral palsy and rare hip disease she
suffers from make that goal a difficult one to achieve.
However, the assistance of a specially trained mobility service dog would help
Francesca realize her dream of college. With a price tag of $20,000,
Hardy is running an online fundraising campaign on RedBasket.org, a
free fundraising website, in hopes of getting paired with her service dog.
Francesca came to the United States at age four months when she was
adopted by her parents, w John Hardy and Pat McGuane. Shortly thereafter,
her parents became concerned when she was not gaining weight or muscle. It
was then that she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and a rare hip
disease that still affects her today.
“For all my medical issues, I am doing pretty well, but the cerebral palsy and hip disease impact my balance and stability,” Francesca said. “I always need someone
or something to hold on to so I don’t fall.”
Hardy does not let her ailments get in the way of her dreams. With the
assistance of a mobility service dog, she hopes to attend college to
become a teacher’s assistant or preschool teacher, she said.
Francesca has recently been approved to receive a service dog through
Little Angels Service Dogs of San Diego. Little Angels is a collaboration
of professionals and volunteers who partner qualified individuals with
specially trained service dogs.
“It would be very difficult for me to go to college without a service dog,” Francesca said. “But with a service dog, I will be able to get around campus safely and
independently without holding a parent‘s hand or being afraid of
falling.”
In order to pay for her service dog, Francesca is running an online
fundraising campaign through RedBasket.org, a nonprofit crowd-funding
website based in Omaha, NE. Every penny donated to Francesca will go
directly to her to help pay for her service dog. No fees are charged to
donors when giving through Red Basket. To support Francesca with your
tax-deductible donation, visit RedBasket.org/848.
About Red Basket
Red Basket is a free crowdfunding website where individuals can share
their story, recruit volunteers and raise money for personal emergencies
or community improvement projects. Red Basket, a 501c3 public charity, was
founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Red Basket is
fully supported by WoodmenLife which covers Red Basket’s
administrative costs in their entirety so 100% of donations are directly
passed thru to the individual or cause. What makes Red Basket different from other crowdfunding websites: No fees, not even credit card processing fees; non-profit organization verification process to ensure complete transparency in donation process. To learn more about Red Basket, visit Redbasket.org.