Pictured, Jeremiah Williams visits with a potential service dog at SIT Service Dogs in Ava. (submitted photo)

The journey of Jeremiah Williams’ life has been a long and trying one for such a little guy.

The 4-year-old Waterloo boy suffered a stroke at birth, resulting in cerebral palsy. He and his mom are constantly adjusting to life with CP, which is in a continuous state of flux as he grows and his needs change.

Add to that a 20-minute seizure suffered in December that ushered in a new phase of his life — dealing with a scary type of epilepsy — and you get an idea of the challenges Jeremiah and his mom, Cylinda, a native of Red Bud and single mom to Jeremiah, face every day.

“His seizures are labeled as status epileptic seizures, meaning that they must be stopped medically – they will not stop on their own,” Cylinda said.

Special medication must go everywhere Jeremiah goes, and staff at Lighthouse Learning Center and Zahnow Elementary in Waterloo, where he is a student, have been trained on what to do in case of another seizure.

“With his cerebral palsy, his right side of his body does not function normally or very much,” according to Cylinda. “He receives physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to help him achieve as much as he can. He has already had surgery on his right hand and been through so much in his short little life, yet he is a fighter!”

To help offset some of these challenges, the family is raising money to purchase a service dog for Jeremiah.

Waterloo Lighthouse Learning Center Director Sarah Glessner-Ulrich is organizing a fundraiser called Jeremiah’s Journey to help raise funds for a dog. The center, which Jeremiah attends and where he was napping when he had his recent seizure, is selling T-shirts in all sizes for just $10.

“The girls at Lighthouse did an awesome job that day,” Cylinda said of the day of Jeremiah’s seizure. “We are lucky to have those girls taking care of our kids.”

Additionally, a trivia night is being planned for May 14, at Royale Orleans in south St. Louis County. It will include a silent auction, raffle, open bar and trivia for $25 per person.

The cost of the dog is about $12,000, and with the additional costs associated like a vest and other equipment, the donation goal is $15,000. The dog will come from SIT Service Dogs, located in Ava.

The dog will be able to help Jeremiah be more independent and assist him with some things he can’t do because of his cerebral palsy and epilepsy. The dog will also be able to alert someone when Jeremiah is in need of help.

Donations can be made via the House of Neighborly Service at P.O. Box 367, Waterloo, IL 62298, by noting “Jeremiah’s Journey” on the check.

Ulrich can be reached at 939-6009 to purchase a Jeremiah’s Journey shirt.

To register for the upcoming trivia night, email tyler.mazdra@gmail.com or call 314-698-6216.

“Besides getting Jeremiah his service dog, we really want to raise awareness in our community about cerebral palsy and epilepsy,” Cylinda added. “Not everyone with cerebral palsy is in a wheelchair. Not everyone has the same kind of seizure. With education comes acceptance.”