Verona resident Meghan Henderson has been diagnosed with a debilitating disease called scleroderma and needs a specially trained service dog to help her get through daily life. On Thursday, June 15, there will be a fundraiser at Avenue Bistro to get her closer to the $24,500 she needs for the service dog.
The event will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. and the cost is $40 per person. To buy tickets call 973-342-4678. if you cannot attend, you can donate directly to Henderson’s page at Educated Canines Assisting With Disabilities (ECAD), which trains the dog Henderson needs.
Henderson has had more than her share of health challenges over the years, but she still managed to raise two children and work as a surgical dental assistant. Scleroderma, however, can make even basic functions of everyday life difficult. The rare autoimmune disease affects the heart, lungs and other vital organs and also causes a hardening and tightening of the skin. Henderson is now confined to a wheelchair.
“I try my best to show my children that through all of my health struggles and uncertainties, I want to be someone they look up to,” Henderson wrote on her fundraising page. “My service dog will allow me to be me.”
You can find Henderson’s ECAD fundraiser here.
