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Cherokee Nation citizen Elizabeth Studer and her mother Lissa visit the Cherokee Nation Complex during their trip to Tahlequah, Okla., from Austin, Texas.  JAMI CUSTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
 




By JAMI CUSTER
Reporter

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – In February, Cherokee Nation citizen Elizabeth Studer traveled with her mother Lissa to the tribe’s Capitol from Austin, Texas, to inquire about assistance on purchasing a service dog.

Elizabeth, who suffers from cerebral palsy, said a service dog would make her life easier.

“My service dog will help me go to different places with me to make sure I get to the right destination I need to go safely,” the 10-year-old girl said. “If I did fall, he would go get someone to help me up or he’d help me up because it’s really hard for me to do that stuff by myself.”

However, since the Studers do not live within the CN they cannot receive tribal assistance, including aid to buy a service dog. 

“There’s really nothing they can do for us, which I understand,” Lissa said. “We just wanted to let people be aware that there are other Cherokee people that don’t live in Oklahoma or in the area and just to see if, you know, there might be somebody who could help or know somebody who knows somebody who does service dogs because I have done my homework and it’s really difficult.”

Lissa added that service dogs are not covered by insurances and can cost up to $30,000. 

“People don’t realize how much it costs for things that aren’t covered by insurance. There’s a whole bunch that goes into it. The service dog is kind of a luxury I guess, but it would mean so much to our family and so much to her safety.”

Lissa said the dog would help take Elizabeth into the next 10 years of her life.

“So much to her being independent on her own and growing into a young woman,” she said. “If I could afford one, we would already have one.”

Although Elizabeth suffers from cerebral palsy, she does not let it get her down, Lissa added. 

“We found out when she was about 14 months old that she had cerebral palsy. (It) didn’t change anything. She’s a great kid, I mean she’s super smart, you know, she just can’t walk,” she said. “There’s a few other issues – her bladder, her colon, you know, eating. We have some issues, but she’s a good kid and she takes it in stride more so than I think I would.”

Elizabeth said her severity of cerebral palsy it’s not as bad as it could be.

“I have cerebral palsy and that means that I can’t walk or sometimes can’t talk. Some cerebral palsy you can’t walk or talk,” she said. “I go to therapy and they try to teach me how to walk and I go to speech therapy. I go to eating therapy because I have some tastes and textures that I’m not really good with.”

Elizabeth added that her trip to Tahlequah wasn’t all business. She also visited the Tribal Complex, Council House and Cherokee Heritage Center to learn more about her heritage.

“I think it is really cool and I’ve been having a good time so far,” she said. “I hope I will be more educated about the Cherokee tribe because I just want to learn more about it because I’m a Cherokee Indian and I should know more about my heritage.”

Elizabeth’s parents are non-Cherokees. They adopted her at birth from a family in Tulsa. 

“I do feel like it’s my obligation to teach her about her Indian heritage,” Lissa said. “It’s very important for her to know. I think it will help her put some feelings inside her and let her know where she came from and that it’s OK to be who she is. She’s very proud of being a Cherokee Indian.”

The family has set up an account at Bank of America to assist in raising money to go towards the purchase of a service dog. For more information email lissastuder1122@yahoo.com.

jami-custer@cherokee.org

918-453-5560