Ryland looks and acts like any other 9 year old boy- in most ways he is. But Ryland is also very different from his peers. He has Type 1 Diabetes and fights a battle every day just to stay alive. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which his body is attacking the cells in his pancreas that make insulin. He did NOT do anything wrong to make this happen. There is no way to prevent or reverse Type 1 Diabetes. There is NO cure. Managing Ryland’s T1D is a constant battle, a roller coaster of life threatening blood sugar highs and lows. Blood sugars are affected by food, exercise, excitement, hormones, growth, illness, stress, injuries, weather, elevation, sleep patterns, etc.
Since his diagnosis last summer Ryland has faced more life-threatening emergencies than most people will experience in a lifetime. He gets poked with many needles every day, and all through every night. He never gets a day off. Since Ryland's pancreas does not work, mom and dad have to try to do its job 24/7/365. One day Ry will have to do this himself. When his blood sugars go high, he needs more insulin. When his blood sugars go low, he needs sugar/carbohydrates to stay alive.
As parents, we have all had those moments of panic when our child is sick, injured, or runs in front of a car. Now imagine experiencing those on a daily… sometimes hourly basis. Imagine having to worry and wonder what will happen if your child eats this, or does that. Just swimming in a pool or at the beach or playing soccer can be dangerous and have an effect on his blood sugars for the next 24 hours. Imagine having to rely on technology that can fail or just on gut instinct to know if your child is in danger. Imagine not being able to sleep because a diabetic emergency can happen at any time and is often most dangerous at night. Now imagine if there was another line of defense. Imagine if there was another way to know if your child was in a critical situation. There is! A specially trained Diabetic Alert Service Dog.
Ryland can do everything his friends can do, but it takes a LOT more planning, work, and needles. A Diabetic Alert Dog can help by indicating when Ryland's blood sugars are out of range. These dogs can detect a spike or drop before conventional technology, hopefully allowing him to avoid dangerous situations. This dog can also give Ryland emotional support and allow him to feel more confident.
These dogs are specially bred and trained; all of which is costly. Training is extensive and continual. Help us to raise money to get Ryland a diabetic alert dog. Help us to raise money to give his family more peace of mind. Help us to give Ryland and his family a partner in this battle.
Thank you. And as Ryland would love to say "Diabetes sucks", & "May the force be with you!"
Since his diagnosis last summer Ryland has faced more life-threatening emergencies than most people will experience in a lifetime. He gets poked with many needles every day, and all through every night. He never gets a day off. Since Ryland's pancreas does not work, mom and dad have to try to do its job 24/7/365. One day Ry will have to do this himself. When his blood sugars go high, he needs more insulin. When his blood sugars go low, he needs sugar/carbohydrates to stay alive.
As parents, we have all had those moments of panic when our child is sick, injured, or runs in front of a car. Now imagine experiencing those on a daily… sometimes hourly basis. Imagine having to worry and wonder what will happen if your child eats this, or does that. Just swimming in a pool or at the beach or playing soccer can be dangerous and have an effect on his blood sugars for the next 24 hours. Imagine having to rely on technology that can fail or just on gut instinct to know if your child is in danger. Imagine not being able to sleep because a diabetic emergency can happen at any time and is often most dangerous at night. Now imagine if there was another line of defense. Imagine if there was another way to know if your child was in a critical situation. There is! A specially trained Diabetic Alert Service Dog.
Ryland can do everything his friends can do, but it takes a LOT more planning, work, and needles. A Diabetic Alert Dog can help by indicating when Ryland's blood sugars are out of range. These dogs can detect a spike or drop before conventional technology, hopefully allowing him to avoid dangerous situations. This dog can also give Ryland emotional support and allow him to feel more confident.
These dogs are specially bred and trained; all of which is costly. Training is extensive and continual. Help us to raise money to get Ryland a diabetic alert dog. Help us to raise money to give his family more peace of mind. Help us to give Ryland and his family a partner in this battle.
Thank you. And as Ryland would love to say "Diabetes sucks", & "May the force be with you!"
Organizer and beneficiary
Lindsey Strickley Qualls
Organizer
Santa Rosa, CA
Teri Denis
Beneficiary