Diabetic Alert Dog For Ian Black
Donation protected
December 6th 2015. A day we will never forget. Our little boy, Ian, was admitted to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in diabetic ketoacidosis with a diagnoses of type 1 diabetes to quickly follow. He was so sick, yet so brave. He never complained once. He was strong through his bloodwork, IV’s, and even his multiple finger pricks and insulin injections.
His life has changed in so many ways, but he remains strong. He holds his head up high. Ian continues to do all the things any other 8 year old would. He loves soccer, playing his guitar, volleyball, hiking, camping, and even an occasional sleepover (now at our house only).
Ian is brave, but his new reality would turn anyone’s life upside down. Ian has to check his blood sugar as many as 12 times a day. He takes insulin injections 6 times a day and has to count everything he eats. Again, Ian never complains. He is so compliant with his diet and insulin regimen.
Ian works hard all day, every day to be healthy. This is something so many of us take for granted. He struggles with high and low blood sugars. His sugar can drop at any given time. It is scary to our entire family. As much as Ian tries, his sugar will fluctuate without warning. He has to constantly be aware of how he is feeling. Our little boy has to take time out of all of his activities to check his sugar. He has to leave class, stop swimming, take a break in the middle of a hike, and even wake up in the middle of the night to check his blood sugar.
As a family, we have been working hard and looking for solutions to help Ian. What would help Ian stay healthy and live a happy life? What would make him feel less alone? What would allow all of us to get some sleep at night? What could help his emotional wellbeing?
We have found an answer! We are adopting a Diabetic Alert Dog!!!! We have found a golden retriever puppy that we will have trained through a certified service dog training center. The dog will alert Ian and his family to low blood sugars. The dog will give Ian a sense of security to be as active as he can. The dog will sleep with her precious Ian and alert us if he has a low in the middle of the night.
There is a big expense to training a service dog. We are hoping that our friends, family, and community will have the heart to help our Ian get his puppy trained.
Please donate if you can. Any amount is appreciated.
Much love,
Sean, Libby, Addyson and Ian Black
His life has changed in so many ways, but he remains strong. He holds his head up high. Ian continues to do all the things any other 8 year old would. He loves soccer, playing his guitar, volleyball, hiking, camping, and even an occasional sleepover (now at our house only).
Ian is brave, but his new reality would turn anyone’s life upside down. Ian has to check his blood sugar as many as 12 times a day. He takes insulin injections 6 times a day and has to count everything he eats. Again, Ian never complains. He is so compliant with his diet and insulin regimen.
Ian works hard all day, every day to be healthy. This is something so many of us take for granted. He struggles with high and low blood sugars. His sugar can drop at any given time. It is scary to our entire family. As much as Ian tries, his sugar will fluctuate without warning. He has to constantly be aware of how he is feeling. Our little boy has to take time out of all of his activities to check his sugar. He has to leave class, stop swimming, take a break in the middle of a hike, and even wake up in the middle of the night to check his blood sugar.
As a family, we have been working hard and looking for solutions to help Ian. What would help Ian stay healthy and live a happy life? What would make him feel less alone? What would allow all of us to get some sleep at night? What could help his emotional wellbeing?
We have found an answer! We are adopting a Diabetic Alert Dog!!!! We have found a golden retriever puppy that we will have trained through a certified service dog training center. The dog will alert Ian and his family to low blood sugars. The dog will give Ian a sense of security to be as active as he can. The dog will sleep with her precious Ian and alert us if he has a low in the middle of the night.
There is a big expense to training a service dog. We are hoping that our friends, family, and community will have the heart to help our Ian get his puppy trained.
Please donate if you can. Any amount is appreciated.
Much love,
Sean, Libby, Addyson and Ian Black
Organizer
Libby Black
Organizer
Beaver Falls, PA
