BELTON, TX — One Belton family is raising money to help bring home a service dog for their daughter who suffers from seizures, and they are leaning on the community for help.
Samantha Weible is just like any other nearly 18-year-old who loves Minecraft and art but she has had some difficulties in her life.
“Sam has spent quite a lot of time in the hospitals, and has had a lot of struggles," Tina Weible, Samantha's mother said.
Sam has struggled with seizures, anxiety and other health issues all of her life, which has kept her out of school for years. A few months ago, her mother started working with Saber Life Foundation in order to help her daughter get a service dog.
“She stopped having seizures, up until 2 weeks ago. That just solidified that we needed to get this dog.”
There was just one problem, “I like cats more than dogs,” Sam had said. But, that was before she met one special dog.
Tina was nervous Sam wouldn’t hit it off with the service dog when they drove all the way down to Missouri to meet a black lab named Opal.
“That dog bee-lined it for my daughter, nearly sat on top of her and the looked at her and was just like what is the next thing you want me to do? It was just that instantaneous connection,” Tina said.
“When we were up there, I got attached to the dog,” Samantha said.
But with Covid-19, money has been tight for the family, and in order to get the proper training for Opal and to bring her to Texas, they need to raise $5,000 by October.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to raise the money ourselves with our paychecks. It’s just, we can’t.”
So the family has created a fundraiser and is hosting a silent auction to raise money for Opal. Even the Belton community has helped out with supplying a venue, baskets, and food, all to help bring Opal home.
“It’s going to be great," Tina said, "It’s just nice to have some of it, the load of it, taken off of me.”
And the most important part is to make Samantha happy.
“She’s a strong kid.”
The silent auction will be hosted in Belton county at the Spa De Miel Nail Salon on September 18th from 11 am to 3 pm.
