Diabetic Alert Service Dog Training for Rylie

Hello friends and family! 

We are beginning our journey of raising money for a diabetic alert dog for Rylie (or D.A.D. for short).

In March 2022, just before her 8th birthday, Rylie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. She spent three days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and we were given a crash course on diabetes management. We were sent home with an entirely new lifestyle and a child with a chronic illness. 

Type One Diabetes is a serious, chronic autoimmune disease affecting the pancreas. It involves the hormone insulin, which has the role of controlling the amount of glucose (sugar) present in the bloodstream. Type One diabetics cannot produce insulin which results in blood sugar levels that are too high, a condition known as Hyperglycemia, or too low, called Hypoglycemia. These conditions can cause life-threatening complications if not detected timely. Diabetes has no cure, and requires careful management such as regular monitoring of blood sugar and treatment with insulin.

Here is where a diabetic alert dog’s true value comes in. While diabetes technology is an amazing asset to Rylie's diabetes management, diabetic alert dogs are trained to monitor their specific owner and detect blood sugar level changes before they can become dangerous (and sometimes before they are caught with wearable technology like a continuous glucose monitor). Alert dogs even monitor their owners while they are sleeping and will wake them up if they sense anything amiss. A service dog can also provide her with emotional support, as T1D management can be very overwhelming for a child.

Unfortunately, D.A.D.s are not covered under any medical insurance and the cost for training a D.A.D. can be up to $30,000 (not including the costs for the animal's care and continued training during the duration of the animal's life). 

We do not step down this path lightly. We have talked for the past year about getting her a service dog and feel that now is the right time to begin that process. We are humbly asking for support in this journey. Over the next year, we ourselves will be saving and fundraising to hopefully be able to put down a deposit on a dog that can begin training for her.

In the meantime, we want to say that we cannot thank our friends and family enough for the amazing amount of support that we have received throughout the past year since Rylie's diagnosis. We are looking forward to helping Rylie achieve her goal of getting a service dog that will keep her safe from complications and allow us some extra peace of mind (and maybe a good night’s sleep). 

 Thank you for reading and for sharing!