Diabetic Alert Dog for Stephanie
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Stephanie is a twelve year old with Type 1 diabetes. She was diagnosed as a diabetic at the age of two. Stephanie is a loving, caring, giving, compassionate little girl who loves to go out and do new things. She is wanting to grow up and work in the medical field or as a vet. She has a special love for animals. She loves horses, dogs, hampsters and chinchilla's (all animals she has owned or been around). Stephanie has been looking into a diabetic dog for the past few years now and has been trying to collect cans, with the help of friends and family to save for a diabetic alert dog (DAD). Most of us would entertain the idea for a child of Stephanie's age for a little while but Stephanie has been saving up for over a year now. She has had a hard time tying to collect the money due to the limited amount of money she gets from cans but this has never discouraged her.
Stephanie has been through many challenges due to her diabetes. Stephanie has had multiple seizures since she was diagnosed with diabeties (most of which are at night). Stephanie has a hard time falling asleep at night and even with taking melatonin will be up into the wee hours of the night because of her body hurting or because she is scared if she falls asleep her sugar will drop and she will have another seizure. Stephanie has developed tingling or numbness episodes in her hands and legs, she suffers from migrain headaches, and just overall body pains. Stephanie takes numberous medications on a daily basis to help control her migrains and body pains. She gets the typical symptoms such as blurred vision, shaking, feeling week, has passed out, vomitting (just to name a few) due to low or elevated blood sugars. Stephanie has been admitted to the ICU numberous times for diabetic ketocidosis (DKA- a potentially life-threatening complication in people with diabetes mellitus. DKA results from a shortage of insulin; in response the body switches to burning fatty acids and producing acidic ketone bodies that cause most of the symptoms and compications) and even under strict diet and exercise regiments Stephanie still experiences high blood glucose levels. Even though Stephanie feels "signs" of low or elevated blood sugars some days, there are days when Stephanie checks her sugar and they register Hi (over 600) or low (under 20) on her glucose machine without her feeling any signs. Anything can "trigger" a high or low blood sugar from excitement, being worried about something or even a common cold (it is not always diet that causes elevated blood sugars).
It was strongly recommended that Stephanie be home schooled when she was in the first grade due to uncontrolable blood sugars reaching over 500 or as low as 30 on a daily basis and having the school nurse call to pick her up due to the anxiety of just being at school.
Stephanie loves riding horses but after falling off of a horse after a low sugar she is very hesitant about climbing back on a horse. Stephanie use to love to swim but will now only stay where she can touch and she uses a floatation device because she is scared her body will go numb again and she will not be able to stay afloat. Stephanie sometimes struggles with other activities most kids love.
Stephanie struggles with depression because of her diabetes. Stephanie has also recently been diagnosed with dyslexia (which explains why she has had issues when trying to read her glucose meter or give herself insulin through her insulin pump). I believe that a DAD dog would help Stephanie out tremendously giving her a higher quality of life. It would give Stephanie the confidence to go out and try new things and stop living in fear. Maybe she will be able to have the experience of staying over at a friends house for the first time. It is a known that pets are used for therapy in hospitals and rehabs and with the love of animals that Stephanie has I know she will greatly benifit from this special dog.
Diabetes is something Stephanie will live with for the rest of her life. With any uncontrolled blood sugars there are long-term complications that can develope such as Microvascular Complications (eye, kidney and nerve disease) and Macrovascular Complications (heart).
Thank you for taking the time to read this and learn more about Stephanie. If you would like to make a donation, any amount is appreciated and tax deductable.
Stephanie has been through many challenges due to her diabetes. Stephanie has had multiple seizures since she was diagnosed with diabeties (most of which are at night). Stephanie has a hard time falling asleep at night and even with taking melatonin will be up into the wee hours of the night because of her body hurting or because she is scared if she falls asleep her sugar will drop and she will have another seizure. Stephanie has developed tingling or numbness episodes in her hands and legs, she suffers from migrain headaches, and just overall body pains. Stephanie takes numberous medications on a daily basis to help control her migrains and body pains. She gets the typical symptoms such as blurred vision, shaking, feeling week, has passed out, vomitting (just to name a few) due to low or elevated blood sugars. Stephanie has been admitted to the ICU numberous times for diabetic ketocidosis (DKA- a potentially life-threatening complication in people with diabetes mellitus. DKA results from a shortage of insulin; in response the body switches to burning fatty acids and producing acidic ketone bodies that cause most of the symptoms and compications) and even under strict diet and exercise regiments Stephanie still experiences high blood glucose levels. Even though Stephanie feels "signs" of low or elevated blood sugars some days, there are days when Stephanie checks her sugar and they register Hi (over 600) or low (under 20) on her glucose machine without her feeling any signs. Anything can "trigger" a high or low blood sugar from excitement, being worried about something or even a common cold (it is not always diet that causes elevated blood sugars).
It was strongly recommended that Stephanie be home schooled when she was in the first grade due to uncontrolable blood sugars reaching over 500 or as low as 30 on a daily basis and having the school nurse call to pick her up due to the anxiety of just being at school.
Stephanie loves riding horses but after falling off of a horse after a low sugar she is very hesitant about climbing back on a horse. Stephanie use to love to swim but will now only stay where she can touch and she uses a floatation device because she is scared her body will go numb again and she will not be able to stay afloat. Stephanie sometimes struggles with other activities most kids love.
Stephanie struggles with depression because of her diabetes. Stephanie has also recently been diagnosed with dyslexia (which explains why she has had issues when trying to read her glucose meter or give herself insulin through her insulin pump). I believe that a DAD dog would help Stephanie out tremendously giving her a higher quality of life. It would give Stephanie the confidence to go out and try new things and stop living in fear. Maybe she will be able to have the experience of staying over at a friends house for the first time. It is a known that pets are used for therapy in hospitals and rehabs and with the love of animals that Stephanie has I know she will greatly benifit from this special dog.
Diabetes is something Stephanie will live with for the rest of her life. With any uncontrolled blood sugars there are long-term complications that can develope such as Microvascular Complications (eye, kidney and nerve disease) and Macrovascular Complications (heart).
Thank you for taking the time to read this and learn more about Stephanie. If you would like to make a donation, any amount is appreciated and tax deductable.
Organizer
Delilah Johnson
Organizer
Martinsburg, WV