Ali Simms is looking ahead to the future and asking Teen Mom fans for help.
Ali— who is the daughter of Leah Messer and Corey Simms— took to TikTok on Saturday to reveal that she’s raising money to get herself a service dog. As Teen Mom 2 fans know, Ali was diagnosed with a very rare form of Muscular Dystrophy in 2014, which has required her to use a wheelchair sometimes to help with her mobility.
In her video, Ali discussed why she needs a service dog.
“A service dog is going to help me tremendously as I prepare to go to college in the next couple of years,” Ali—who is 16— said. “This process does take a little while so that’s why I am starting now. The process does take about two years, which would be the exact time I’m heading to college.
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“…I do have muscular dystrophy so as I prepare to go to college, we want to make sure that I can live independently but also safely,” she continued. “A service dog is going to be able to assist with anything that I’d possibly need to stay active and safe in college, whether it is walking upstairs, walking around campus, opening doors. Literally anything that I could possibly need, this service dog is going to be there every step of the way.
Ali also revealed that a service dog will also help her deal with being apart from her twin sister, Aleeah, for the first time.
“As much as we are alike and different, she has different college plans than I do,” Ali said. “And, unfortunately, that is probably going to be one of the hardest things that I do as I move away from home. So, having my service dog as my best friend always by my side, I think is going to help me so, so much.”
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Ali stated that she is working with the company 4 Paws for Ability. According to information from the company’s website, it can cost between $40,000-$60,000 to “raise, train and place a service dog at 4 Paws for Ability.” The company states that it fundraises to cover a significant portion of the cost, but families must raise $20,000 of that amount (or $23,000 if they’d like to have a service dog that is a poodle, doodle or papillon.)
@ali_simms https://secure.qgiv.com/event/4pawsforabilityservicedogs/account/2231653/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAPia_pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeIFr75qIrohQ5TXoK4i9VUjfze_Fl0AEXbDIIibPQLQrYv0anDShUzw8tlu0_aem_qTiYxpoxcu1V0R-8eWoc7w Thank you so much! 💕💕@leahmesser @4 Paws for Ability ♬ original sound – ali
Ali— who has starred on the ‘Teen Mom’ shows since birth— also addressed why she doesn’t just have her parents pay for the dog.
“Yes, of course I could have my parents do it, but I don’t think it would be as rewarding as if I did the work,” Ali said. “If I’m the one who is putting in all of the work, doing all of this fundraising, all of it, it is such a way more rewarding experience whenever that dog is yours. [It’s like], ‘I did that,’ you know what I mean?”
Ali confirmed that she does have a job and stated that things she’s purchased with the money that she’s earned from that job mean more.
“I ask for your support to help me make this dream a reality,” Ali said. “Any donation, no matter the size, honestly helps me get closer, and closer and closer, to my independent, happy and confident college life.
Ali’s muscular dystrophy and health struggles were a major topic of discussion during Leah’s ‘Teen Mom’ scenes over the years. During a 2022 episode of ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter,’ Ali’s doctor, Dr. Tsao, told her and Leah that the type of MD that Ali has— Titin Myopathy– is no longer as rare as it was when Ali was diagnosed. (At the time of her diagnosis, there were only 20 known cases in the world. Ali was the first child to be diagnosed with it.)
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“[There are] 700+ [people with] her type of MD now,” Leah posted at the time.
Fans on TikTok seemed eager to help Ali achieve her $20,000 goal. (As of press time, she has raised just over $1800.)
“Have been watching you grow up since day one! So proud of you! Definitely helping out!” one person wrote to Ali in the post’s comment section.
“So proud of you,” someone else wrote. “Great advocacy & working towards transitioning to adulthood & independence.”
“I love you and I’m so so proud of you!” Leah wrote in the comments.
“My heart, super proud of you for being your own person and wanting to do this all on your own! Love you,” wrote Leah’s sister Victoria on Instagram.
Click here if you’d like to donate to Ali’s service dog fundraiser.
UPDATE! The Ashley wanted to address a topic coming up a lot on social media regarding this story, in which fans are wondering why Ali doesn’t use the money she earned from appearing on ‘Teen Mom’ for her dog. While Ali did earn a significant amount from appearing on the show, that money could have already been spend on her medical care, or it could be allocated to pay for her college tuition, dorm, etc.
The kids’ earnings were put into accounts, but rules vary by state as to what type of account and the access parents would have. (Some states have no rules).
As The Ashley has previously reported in the past, MTV was not required to set up any type of trust fund for the ‘Teen Mom 2’ kids, as reality TV is not covered under Coogan Laws or any other act. The kids were all paid independently from their parents, and the kids’ earnings were placed into accounts for them by the network; however, they type of account and how the money could be used varies by state, and is up to the parents for the most part.
The earnings of child actors, etc. are legally required in several states to be placed into a Coogan account. These accounts require the parents of the child actor to set aside at least 15% of their child’s entertainment earnings into the account for the child when he or she turns 18. Unfortunately, kids on reality TV shows are not considered “actors,” therefore the Coogan Laws do not apply. Also, those laws only apply in certain states; Leah’s home state of West Virginia is not one of them.
Multiple show sources confirmed to The Ashley over the years that many of the ‘Teen Mom’ stars have UTMA accounts set up for their kid(s). However, MTV (or the government) does not prevent the parent (or whoever is set as the “trustee” of the account until the child turns 18) from withdrawing money, provided it is for “the benefit of the child.”
So, essentially, it would be total legal for Ali’s parents to have used her ‘Teen Mom’ earnings to pay for her health care. (The Ashley is not saying this is what happened, but is just stating that Ali’s earnings may have been used already for her care.)
RELATED STORY: Is ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter’ Cancelled? Catelynn Lowell Reveals What the Cast Was Recently Told About the Show’s Future
(Photos: MTV)
11 Responses
Is she really doing “all the work” when all she’s doing is making a go fund me? lol
Right, I’m all for her not asking her parents for money and wanting to do it for herself… but all she’s doing is now asking strangers on the internet for money instead of her parents; whom are probably much more financially stable than most of the people donating.
Why hasn’t she had a service dog since she was a kindergartener? Her parents were VERY well versed financially at the time, and had been for years. I don’t care about Leah’s drug addiction. Ali is now so much older and they should have gotten her one years ago. Not taken all those Hawaiian vacations and such.
Especially now that she is ready to head to college. Don’t tell me that there isn’t money in the bank to purchase a service dog. Ali shouldn’t have to be in a position to ask strangers for money for a service dog. Her parents should have taken care of this for her long ago.
I’m quite amazed. Leah’s comments are articulate, with correct grammar and spelling. Almost heaven, West Virginia.
Good luck to her, however seeing that her mother has/had massive issues wth money, maybe it’s better for her to learn at a young age what spending and asking for money entails
She’s not going to learn anything from this. She’s using her parents fame, to set up a gofundme and ask strangers to pay for her service dog.
While obviously, having a service dog would be great for Ali, this is no better than Catelynn asking for fans to pay for Nova’s cheerleading or her Dad’s rent a bride.
Wishing her the very best
yall clearly haven’t watched the show if yall are gonna try to bash leah and corey for not just paying for it, for years we’ve seen ali insist on being independent and doing things on her own and especially more now that she’s become a teenager
I think she might reach her goal but with the income that all of them have and the show they should be able to afford it.