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MURRAY — Daniel Seelye enlisted in the United States Army with the intention of helping soldiers and their families with emotional distress.
Never in his wildest dreams would he believe he'd need similar help of his own.
His issues aren't related to combat, necessarily, but the soldier's entire world turned upside down during a 2008 military deployment in eastern Europe.
"I started feeling very ill really quickly," said Seelye, of Hyrum. Extreme exhaustion and general sickness led to an eventual diagnosis of Addison's disease, a disorder that affects the function of his adrenal gland and is caused by an autoimmune response.
He suffers a variety of debilitating symptoms, including fatigue and weakness, as well as skin discoloration and neurological problems because of his disease, which occurred during his on-duty, overseas assignment.
But perhaps the biggest impact of the soldier's ailing health was felt by the family's finances, as Seelye was out of work for almost a decade.
"It was the toughest time of my life," the father of four young kids said Wednesday. "I was homebound for a really long time."
There is no cure for Addison's and treatment requires long-term medication and monitoring. He can't be on his feet for long periods of time, getting up from sitting is unexpectedly hard, and being able to reach things is sometimes difficult.
Thankfully, however, none of it is too much for his new best friend, Nick, a 10-month-old golden retriever-border collie mix, who was able to go home with the Seelye family for good on Wednesday.
The service dog is a gift from the local Service Paws and Patriots program, supported by a number of sponsors, but, particularly, the Malinois Foundation, Mark Miller Subaru and the South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce.
Nick, short for Nicolas, was raised to be "strong, resilient and protective" — specially trained to provide emotional and physical support to his handler, said Kelley Rosequist, executive director at the Malinois Foundation, an off-shoot of her father's successful, multi-state dog-training business, Dog Training Elite.
Through their work, they found an ever-increasing need for service dogs for veterans. The cost of training one, Rosequist said, is a "huge barrier" for veterans, as it requires between $20,000 and $40,000 for hands-on instruction and boarding materials.
"Most veterans come back from overseas deployment with insecurities, post-traumatic stress disorder, and often have trouble integrating with their community," Rosequist said, adding that a service dog helps "give a vet their freedom back."
"It's giving back the freedom our veterans lost by fighting for ours," she said.
To date, the nonprofit organization has placed 28 service dogs with veterans in Utah, Arizona and Texas. Most of those placements, Rosequist said, have been life-changing for the veterans.
"This is a huge day for us," Seelye said. "We've had some challenges in the past."
He thanked his wife, Keri Seelye, for "literally carrying me through some of those years," and said that Nick will help ease the burden for her "and help me be the best I can be."
In the month or so since the family was introduced to Nick, Daniel Seelye said, he's noticed improved health and a greater desire to get out and do things.
And Nick has already taken the pressure off Keri Seelye.
"He can help with things I can't do for Dan," she said. "And he's able to be with him at work, where I could not."
"He's going to help us enjoy life," she said.
Despite all that is trying to hold him back, Daniel Seelye is able to live his dream of helping veterans and their families to find peace in their chaotic lives — he's just no longer in uniform.
But as a mental health provider, he's now got a trusty sidekick. And Nick is especially helpful, too, because he can provide additional support for Daniel Seelye's clients at the office.
"He's really been the light at the end of the tunnel for me," Daniel Seelye said.
The two seem to have known each other a lot longer than just the month it has taken to acquaint themselves. And Nick, who listens carefully and is attentive to the needs of his new handler, is just as comfortable as ever as he accepts his new career.
"He spent his whole life preparing for this," Rosequist said.
For more information or to support providing service dogs to veterans, visit themalinoisfoundation.org. Email: wleonard@deseretnews.com Twitter: wendyleonards
