Support Savannah's Journey with a Diabetic Alert Dog

My daughter Savannah was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was three years old. I didn’t know much about this new diagnosis, but soon became aware of the challenges and impacts this diagnosis would have on our lives. We spent several days and nights in the hospital. Our hospital stay was a crash course on how to manage Diabetes. I was initially overwhelmed and the simple ease of just napping on the couch with Savannah was no longer. I quickly learned that Diabetes requires 24/7 monitoring. Five years later, Savannah and I have a good routine but still each day presents with challenges.

Today, Savannah is a caring, active, resilient almost 8 year old. She loves gymnastics, playing outside, swimming and is very active in sports. Savannah loves to swim and is constantly losing a signal on her CGM which makes this activity very challenging. We work everyday to not allow Diabetes to define her. However, Type 1 Diabetes impacts her life everyday. There are decisions every hour of every day, in order to keep her blood sugar in a healthy range. Savannah's blood sugar must be monitored 24/7, including throughout the night. As a single mother, I am thankful for the modern technology as my family is able to follow Savannah's CGM and alert me as a back up during the night. Due to exhaustion, I have missed a few low blood sugars which can be a matter of life and death. Blood sugar that is too high, leaves Savannah feeling awful, irritable, unable to participate in activities she loves, and leaves her at risk of future complications. On the other hand, low blood sugar is more immediately threatening and if left untreated, can lead to seizures, unconsciousness and worse. Savannah uses a continuous glucose monitor, as one of the essential tools to manage her Diabetes. The CGM reduces finger pricks and alarms to lows and highs; however, technology is not always reliable, and currently she does not feel and respond to her blood sugar changes. This increases her risk of life-threatening consequences due to fluctuating blood sugar.

Thanks to the help of my State Representative, Marcus Vaughn and his staff, I was put in touch with Diabetic Alert Dogs Of America. Savannah was accepted into a service dog program! I quickly learned the fees (to have the dog fully trained and certified) is more than I can handle alone, so I am moving out of my comfort zone and asking for help.

After months of researching, I know that having a Diabetic alert dog will benefit Savannah’s life in so many ways! A Service Dog will alert to lows and highs, increasing her safety and relieving some of the burden and worry that I experience. Savannah cannot attend play dates without me. She has never been to a sleepover, not even with family. She cannot attend just any summer camp. She must wear a fanny pack with her devices inside so her sugar is monitored at all times. We haven't had much snow in MA for sometime, but she couldn't play in the snow a couple of years ago without her sugar crashing from the energy it took to truck through the snow to find the perfect sledding spot. It will be wonderful for Savannah to enjoy a more (normal) childhood like her cousins and peers. I will feel safer at night with the (backup) support of her dog. Having Diabetes can feel lonely. I worry far too often about the added stress this diagnosis puts on her. In addition to helping keep her safe, I know that a service dog will provide Savannah with a feeling of security, friendship, and emotional support.

It is very uncomfortable to ask for help, but having a child with a permanent, life threatening condition has taught me a lot and I am humbly taking on this journey to ask for help for Savannah to meet her Diabetic Alert Dog. Every little bit will help and if you are unable to support in a financial way, please help us get the word out by sharing. Savannah and I appreciate your support!