Josh White, 26, has been at the mercy of his epileptic seizures since he was 18-months-old.

"The seizures are crippling. Your muscles are tight, your head and legs hurt and you sleep for 2-3 days," White said.

But now he's learning that man's best friend can be so much more.

"I feel with the service dog. It will allow me to go on walks again, ride my bicycle again even go and get coffee again," White said.

A German Shepherd named "Ultra" is being trained by a man in New York to sense when White is going to have an episode.

"It sniffs out seizures. When it smells something it makes you sit down," White said.

White's mother Deborah said she hopes to see her son gain some freedom.

"Even if Josh is only able to walk to Starbucks by himself it's more than he can do now," Deborah White said.

To earn the $15,000 to buy the dog, White is holding fundraisers selling purple ribbons signifying November as Epilepsy Awareness Month.

White said this will not only change his life but also his parent's lives.

"I've always been in Josh's corner and I will continue to but maybe, if nothing else, mom can go out for 30 minutes a day alone," Deborah said.

White and his family said they are looking for some normalcy in their home that they hope Ultra can bring.

According to the trainer, the dog is taught to sense a seizure by learning behaviors before an episode. He also said the dog can smell the chemical reaction in the person's body before a seizure.

Click here to learn more and visit White's blog.