Newtown resident (age 9) is half way to goal for her DIABETES ALERT DOG!

My daughter, Scarlett, is actively raising money to be able to purchase a diabetes alert dog. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in June 2016, she had just turned 8 years old. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder where her body attacked her pancreas, the organ that produces insulin. She checks her blood sugar at least 7 times a day and injects herself with insulin before eating anything with carbohydrates (most food contains carbs BTW). She, and her parents, must now act as a pancreas and keep her blood sugar in between 70-165 ourselves. If her blood sugars run too high for too long, she can develop many complications in the future. If too low, she could go into a diabetic coma and not wake up. An insulin dose that worked perfectly yesterday could be completely wrong today. Factor in physical activity of a spunky 9 year old and blood sugars could rise from adrenaline or lower from increased effectiveness of insulin. To say that I am, as her primary caregiver, exhausted in an understatement! Scarlett wants a diabetic alert dog and I am not opposed to a fury little helper!

Diabetes Alert Dogs (DADs) are service dogs just like a “seeing-eye” dog for the blind or a mobility assistance dog for someone in a wheelchair. DADs are highly trained dogs that will alert their owner if blood sugar drops below a normal range. They are able to do this by reacting to particular smells that are emitted from the human body caused by low blood sugar (undetected by a human nose). Scarlett is typically aware of her low blood sugars during the day. My primary concern is at night. This is where our DAD could be a life saver, literally.

Scarlett’s DAD was born on March 22, 2017 in West Virginia. Her name is Olive and she is a yellow Labrador. Her breeder/trainer is Becky Causey of Causey Labradors and Training, LLC. Due to the intense training for over a year and a half, DADs are pricey. Olive will cost $18,000, hence the fundraising efforts!!! Scarlett has raised $9,500 so far thanks for generous donations from our wonderful Newtown community. We would appreciate it if you check out her go fund me page and look out for her fundraisers when out and about! Thank you for reading and please share!

https://www.gofundme.com/help-dd-get-a-diabetic-alert-dog

http://www.causeylabradorsandtraining.com/diabetes-alert-dogs.html