Diabetic Alert Dog for Kian

Dear Family and Friends,

As some of you know, my nephew Kian was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 8. While other kids his age were learning multiplication facts, Kian was learning to estimate carbohydrate counts for his meals and snacks, then multiplying the carb count by the insulin dose he and his doctor calculated. Every diabetic’s insulin sensitivity is different, and their sensitivity varies due to many factors: time of day, weather, physical activity, stress, and illness. It’s no wonder Kian is currently attending the University of California, Irvine and majoring in mathematics. His pediatric endocrinologist called him a human calculator at the age of 10. Kian gives himself insulin injections every morning, every evening, every time he eats, and when he has a high blood sugar reading. If he has too many high blood sugars throughout his life, his overall health will deteriorate much more rapidly than someone without type 1 diabetes, and he will suffer lasting consequences. When Kian has a low blood sugar reading, he has too much insulin. He then needs to ingest fast carbs, like sugar tablets. If he doesn’t get the carbs in time, he has a severe low and may pass out and have a seizure.

Kian wrote this school essay about his diagnosis when he was twelve:

When I got diabetes, I felt weak, and I was hopeless to stop it. I tried to feel normal at first, but I didn't feel normal at all. When I kept on going with my life, I stopped thinking of the scary things involved in diabetes. That's when I felt normal like everyone else again. People all over the world are trying to cure this horrible disease, and that encourages me too. Still, it changed the way I play, eat, and live. In all my life, I will never forget the day I got diabetes because my life had changed forever.

Recently, Kian’s mom (my sister Lora) was attending a conference for teacher training and ran into a former colleague and friend with type 1 diabetes. Coincidentally, she is a math teacher. Lora’s friend April received her diabetic alert dog a little over a year ago. April’s alert dog, Maple, is trained and can alert April when her blood sugar is high or low. Maple alerts April even before her Continuous Glucose Monitor alerts her. Maple will not stop warning April until she corrects her blood sugar. Maple's ability to detect this state prevents a low blood sugar from dropping too low and a high blood sugar from continuing in the wrong direction. Since getting Maple, April’s A1C blood test (a 3-month synopsis of your overall blood sugars) has decreased to that of a person without diabetes.

APRIL'S STORY

After learning of April and Maple’s success, Kian began investigating if he was a good fit for a diabetic alert dog. An alert dog would help Kian bring his A1C back to a normal range and prevent some of the more severe health issues that are common with his diabetes. The overwhelming cost of an alert dog is about $18,000, and it is not covered by insurance. Though the price is exorbitant for Kian's parents, both school teachers, the family agrees that the benefits to Kian's long-term health are priceless. You can learn more here:

DIABETIC ALERT DOGS OF AMERICA

Kian has not let diabetes get in the way of his many outstanding accomplishments. He has always worked diligently in school and was one of his High School graduating class's Valedictorians. He also competed as a Varsity wrestler throughout high school, becoming Team Captain, and was selected as athlete of the year for Dana Hills High School his senior year! Kian earned the seal of biliteracy on his high school diploma and was chosen for the Honors program at Saddleback College. Kian is now working hard as a math major at UCI. When he’s not doing amazing things in school, he is working. Some of his jobs: Dana Hills Wrestling Coach, Amazon Robotics Delivery Program, and Certified Diving Master/Scuba assistant.

As his aunt, my favorite thing about Kian is his sweet and loving nature. He is truly an amazing person!

Together, we can pool our resources to help Kian live a safer, more stable life. Your contribution towards this Diabetic Alert Dog will have an immediate and lasting impact on Kian's overall health. If a donation is not in your budget, please consider sharing this on any of your social media accounts. All donations and your efforts to share this message are greatly appreciated.