"This is Fred. He's my service dog. He helps with my anxiety and depression, since I have bipolar disorder. I saved him from a shelter after he had been abused and neglected for seven years. He had some health issues initially, but there was a a health information mix-up, and I wasn't aware that he had a growth on his belly until recently. It looks suspicious, so it's going to be removed. He's going to have surgery on February 13th. But it's not easy to pay for surgery, especially as a college student."
                   "What kind of techniques does Fred know?"
"He can sense both my depression and anxiety coming on. When I'm feeling anxious, he will know to step between me and someone I'm speaking with. Or he'll paw at a chair if I'm sitting down. That's when I know to step out and excuse myself, or stay in for a night, to take care of myself. He also is trained to eat at the same time as me--so if I'm having difficulty eating, he won't eat, either. That helps with my motivation to take care of both myself and him. His training taught him to keep his eyes on me at all times to monitor me."
                  "Have you had any issues since you got Fred?"
"Notre Dame recently allowed service dogs, which is when I got Fred. Some people accuse me of not having a 'real' need for a service dog, and some businesses try to kick him out when I have the legal right to have him with me. Other people will try to call or pet him without my permission. I love when people pet him, play with him, or take pictures of him. But I wish they would talk to me first, so I know who they are before they start touching him.
"Honestly, I'm just someone who's trying to get better, and Fred helps me with that. In the past, when I had panic attacks or depressive episodes, I needed socialization and physical contact--especially a technique called 'grounding'. I used to feel guilty about calling on my friends because I felt like a burden. The act of having to contact them made me feel worse. But with Fred, I never feel that way. I take care of him, feed him, walk him, and love him. And in return, he takes care of me."

If you are interested in donating to alleviate the cost of Fred's surgery, please visit Ellen and Fred's GoFundMe at gofundme.com/kvpaes