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)
54 Responses
I do find this a little troubling, as Leah raked in likely over a million over the years(weren’t they making like $250,000 per SEASON?
I think GoFundMe is way overused, it should be only for those with ZERO other resources or accessible funds. That was what it was originally intended for. She needs a dog, and that is great if she gets one(my grandmother had one for her blindness). But asking others to pay for it when your parents easily can is pretty messed up. Maybe put together a GoFundMe for others that are actually poor or can’t afford the basics like wheelchair or to help other kids get help at home if needed, that would be very admirable. Asking others to pay when your mom has thousands in a bank, or maybe even a million, is rather tone deaf and inappropriate.
I really don’t mean to sound like I’m being a bitch, but with all the cash that Leah and her daughters have made with MTV you’d think they would be able to afford Ali girl a therapy dog.
I remember Leah saying many reunions ago that she has banked all her kids money from being on teen mom, so Leah where’s all that money? I’m not saying that Ali could not use a therapy pup because that could be life changing for her. Come on Leah you couldn’t have spent all their money 💴 on dope, did you? If you did shame on you !
Just read Leah wrote “Love you and Im so proud of you”. Proud that your daughter is begging for money for HERSELF from strangers on the internet? Why is she condoning this? how embarrassing and entitled. The fact that Ali keeps calling it “work” is troubling.
Then a bunch of strangers pitch in for this dog that probably live paycheck to paycheck, barely scraping by, but have pity for her diagnosis ….and she doesn’t even give them credit. She claims she did the “work” for it. I really would have thought Leah would have been mortified.
Someone said below that it if she set up a gofundme for a child like her that is less fortune and maybe doesnt even have a wheelchair, or the basics. Then that would be worth donating to. This is selfish, if your mother wont tell you please read these comments, we regular folks are
I am so confused. Did Leah rly allow her to do this and actually read what she wrote?
Why is nobody telling her that this is not what earning money looks like as an adult? So she thinks that by not asking her own parents (who made tens of thousands of dollars from being on reality TV ) she instead is making a gofundme and asking us regular, working class 9-5 *strangers* that most likely have pennies in comparison, to GIVE (not earn) her money for a dog as an adult. And then she can think “I did that?” I want nothing but the best for the girlses but this isnt a good start into adulthood, and that falls on Leah and Corey
Leah should be able to buy her daughter a service dog since she doesn’t pay her taxes.
“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”
What work? She made a video asking strangers for money.
Corey is her father, not Jeremy, I’m sure Leah has blown their money. Just like poor Jace who’s basically living on his own, Shame on these parents.
Good God Leah!
Her goal is $20k, which I was curious and looked up the cost for service animals. It can go up to 60k. So far as of 1/26 – she’s up to almost 5k. Which whatever, you don’t have to contribute if you don’t want to. And I actually won’t be contributing either lol, but I do hope she is able to reach or at least get within an attainable goal if she has to contribute to rest herself.
*the rest
It would have impressed me a lot more if she had started a go fund me account to raise money for someone whose parents haven’t been earning millions of dollars for all these years. A lot more people would have donated if she said she wanted to make sure someone else in her position didn’t have to go without. She has a college fund and parents that can afford the service dog. Begging for more money for herself is tone deaf at best, especially in this economy. Too bad she doesn’t have anyone around her to point out begging for money from strangers is NOT the same as working and she is not earning that money.
Did anyone think that Ali is bringing attention to this organization to bring in donations in general. Maybe there is something setup where Leah or Corey are making a donation as well to help others. Ali sounds like she wants to be a regular kid and wants to get donations like other kids.
This child has been exploited by her parents on tv and social media since before she was born. She is entitled to earnings from MTV and should have plenty of money to purchase this.
This is not a dig at Ali at all, I have the utmost respect for her strength, but I fail to see how having strangers pay for the service dog is more rewarding than having her parents pay for it. Of course paying something with your own money (that you earned through your job) is more rewarding but asking charity of strangers is not an achievement to be proud of.
That being said, I hope she’ll raise the money and get the dog she needs.
This comment section does NOT pass the vibe check. Ali is a child, y’all!! If you don’t like it, don’t donate! But to go online and bash a kid for trying to fundraise for something she wants and really needs is cruel and mean spirited.
Or her mother could just budget her hundreds of thousands of dollars and support her own child. It’s not anyone else’s responsibility to provide your child things, especially when the majority of us make nothing compared to her. We should start a go fund me for emotional damages for watching this crap.
She’s not fundraising though, that’s just begging on the internet. So embarrassing
Her parents can definitely afford to get her one.
Hopefully someone will pitch in the extra 3 grand so she can get the doodle ! 🙄
Sorry kiddo. “Doing it on your own” doesn’t mean soliciting donations from the general public.
You’ve been an “earner” for years, just by being born into a dysfunctional situation. Figure it out without asking for a handout.
And in all seriousness, good luck in college! Work hard and become something great!
Again, vacations, new cars, new homes, new pets, nails, hair, etc. Do we not think about what is really needed rather than what is really wanted? Leah failed as a mother if she didn’t give her children what they needed. I feel for Ali but this is on Leah and Corey to provide not the general public.
Right!!! Like girl people are literally starving. Animals literally have no food in the shelters. Collect money for that. Your parents can buy you a service dog.
I do believe that Ali should have more money in the bank then the people she is asking from ?
People should help blind people with their guide dog donations, but Ali? I don’t understand. It seems like she only wants the dog so she won’t be alone. She’ll have to clean up the mess herself. Bad idea.
She’s literally disabled. Do you know “special accommodations” are in the workplace and schools?
I mean, I’ve seen scoopers at the store that only require one hand. That is not exactly an insurmountable hurdle. 😅
Didn’t she receive money for being on the show?
I feel for this girl but can we just be real for a second. Her mom’s been on tv, and getting brand deals for almost 20 years. People can barely afford groceries. Get your own damn service animal.
With all due respect to Ali, she’s “not doing it alone” and is asking for others to pay. The parents SHOULD pay. They’ve also been well-compensated for their time on the show.
Exactly. Leah could do a brand deal right now and it would pay for her daughter’s dog. To sit there and have Ali beg for money “she’s doing it for herself” I mean she has a chronic illness! The whole thing is weird.
I bet Leah will end up doing a brand deal or another reality show to help pay for the dog, and Corey will do overtime. I’m sure his dad and stepmom will contribute as well.
Like mother like daughter, Leah must have taught her disabled one how to grift. Also, why tf cant Leah (or Jeremy) buy it? She always bragged about how he made good money. Just kidding, we know Leah can’t afford it. And independence? Yeah creating a go fund me and guilting strangers into donating is NOT independence, little girl. Your neighbors are starving (WV is a very poor state) and you want them to buy you a 20k dog…
Jeremey is not her father – Corey is. Also, what’s with you making fun of a disabled child by calling her “little girl”? There are better ways to question this situation than mocking a disabled child who likely won’t live a full lifespan. I agree her parents should help pay for a dog though.
Oh for Christ sake! Settle down! “Little girl” is a figure of speech, NOT a slam at a disabled child! You sound like one of those professional victims that scan every word of a comment, hoping to find something you can scream about.
Corey is her father, not Jeremy, I’m sure Leah has blown their money. Just like poor Jace who’s basically living on his own, Shame on these parents.
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.
That’s true I forgot about that. They’ve been on constant vacations for years. So while great, that $ would easily have paid for a dog.
I’m quite amazed. Leah’s comments are articulate, with correct grammar and spelling. Almost heaven, West Virginia.
Leah discovered ChatGPT
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
Setting up a ho fund me to havestrangers get Ali a service dog is not Independence 🙄
Independence would be using money from a job to pay for it.
Im absolutely not against Ali getting a service dog, it would be helpful for her. My issue is the language used in the go fund me description is inaccurate. Her parents made upwards of $400k per season for YEARS!
How is setting up a Go Fund Me for strangers to pay “indepedent?”
There is a big difference between “being independent and doing things on her own” and making a GoFundMe to beg strangers for money, when it’s clearly her PARENTS job to provide for her. And her parents are financially capable of doing so!
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.