Baby Myles Needs a Diabetic Alert Dog
Donation protected
My name is Myles Murphy and I am 11 months old. Just one month ago, my mama took me to Children's Hospital ER bc I woke up not feeling well, covered in pee, and having very labored breathing. She was worried I had Covid, but my O2 was perfect so they checked my blood glucose. My level was over 500 and I was in severe DKA(diabetic ketoacidosis). It was a good thing she took me to the ER when she did because I went downhill fast. I vomited and got so lethargic I would only sleep and hardly move. It was such a scary thing for my mama; they told her to be glad I woke up that morning because DKA and undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes is a "silent killer". Those were some scary words for my mama to hear. She cried a lot and because of Covid, my dada couldn't be with us. They told her that I have Type 1 Diabetes which is pretty rare for babies, and I was admitted to the PICU. It was pretty rough on both of us but after they got things under control, I went back to being my happy and easy-going self! The diabetes educators spent a lot time time teaching Mama and Dada how to take care of me after we leave. Even though it was a lot of info and pretty scary, we got to go home after a couple of days.
Update on Jan 14: Landon Wexler with CBS 42 did a great story on me! CLICK HERE to watch my news story! News story will play after you watch the 15 second advertisement.
My mama did a lot of research to learn how to best take care of me now that I have a life-threatening disease. It makes things harder that I am a baby and won't communicate or recognize how I am feeling for quite a while. Mama and Dada decided to get me a Diabetic Alert Dog(DAD) as another layer of protection for me. This DAD will be trained to alert them that my glucose is going too high or too low based on my smell! The DAD will alert up to 30 minutes faster than my Continuous Glucose Monitor that I wear on my body at all times. Since the DAD alerts so much sooner, it gives us a chance to fix the problem, before it becomes a real big problem. Technology fails and my DAD will look out for me and help keep me safe. In the one month that I have had T1D, my mama has already had to wake and treat me for some scary lows. One example: I went down for nap with a high blood glucose of 245. 1.5 hours into my nap, mama got an alert that I was low. It seemed to be dropping quickly so she woke me up from nap and started treating me. It was dropping too fast and got all the way down to 44 before it started going up again. Mama was so scared I may pass out any minute and need an emergency glucagon shot, but I wasn't even showing any symptoms. There was no way to realize how bad the situation was without an alert and without a blood glucose level. If technology had failed and Mama didn't wake me up, I may not have woken up. My DAD will catch these things and alert my Mama or Dada before it gets too bad.
A Diabetic Alert Dog is very expensive, as much as $30,000!!! It may seem like a lot of money but Mama and Dada believe this DAD will be an extra layer of protection that may save my life one day, so that makes it worth every penny. So here we are.... my parents have researched and decided where to get my DAD from. They have made my deposit and placed me on the waiting list. Hopefully it will be our turn to get my DAD by the end of summer or early fall. The proceeds we raise will go towards the cost of my scent trained Diabetes Alert Dog, our ongoing training, and funds to travel across the country when it is time to pick up our DAD.
Before I was diagnosed with T1D, my family didn't know much about it at all. Just in case you don't either, let me tell you a little bit. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that made my pancreas stop working. It cannot be cured and diet/exercise won't fix it. My body can no longer make insulin, so now my life depends on receiving insulin from shots. I get 2 types of insulin every day. Since I came home from the hospital, I have NEVER cried when my mama sticks me or gives me shots. I am such a brave and laid back baby! Insulin keeps my body from going into DKA again and keeps me alive. Despite all the work my parents and my endocrinology team do to keep my levels in range, I am still a roller coaster of highs and lows. Blood glucose highs can cause long term damage to my organs and many other complications. Low blood glucose which is the scariest part, can lead to coma and death. For a diabetic, lows can happen suddenly and for no reason at all. My mama is so scared I will have a low at night while sleeping and not wake up. She worries technology may fail or she may sleep through an alarm.
My DAD will be an extra layer of protection, especially at night! Any physical activity can cause a sudden and quick low. Once I start walking and become a more active toddler, the lows can happen much more frequently and much faster. My parents knows a DAD can allow me to be more of a normal little boy being able to play and stay safe because my DAD will let her know as soon as I start going low.
With the help of your generous donation, I will be able to have more of a normal childhood and I will have extra protection as I live with T1D. Mama, Dada, and I really appreciate any support you provide, whether it is a donation or a share to help us get this out there! Please help us get my Diabetic Alert Dog by donating or sharing!
Love,
Myles Murphy
Update on Jan 14: Landon Wexler with CBS 42 did a great story on me! CLICK HERE to watch my news story! News story will play after you watch the 15 second advertisement.
My mama did a lot of research to learn how to best take care of me now that I have a life-threatening disease. It makes things harder that I am a baby and won't communicate or recognize how I am feeling for quite a while. Mama and Dada decided to get me a Diabetic Alert Dog(DAD) as another layer of protection for me. This DAD will be trained to alert them that my glucose is going too high or too low based on my smell! The DAD will alert up to 30 minutes faster than my Continuous Glucose Monitor that I wear on my body at all times. Since the DAD alerts so much sooner, it gives us a chance to fix the problem, before it becomes a real big problem. Technology fails and my DAD will look out for me and help keep me safe. In the one month that I have had T1D, my mama has already had to wake and treat me for some scary lows. One example: I went down for nap with a high blood glucose of 245. 1.5 hours into my nap, mama got an alert that I was low. It seemed to be dropping quickly so she woke me up from nap and started treating me. It was dropping too fast and got all the way down to 44 before it started going up again. Mama was so scared I may pass out any minute and need an emergency glucagon shot, but I wasn't even showing any symptoms. There was no way to realize how bad the situation was without an alert and without a blood glucose level. If technology had failed and Mama didn't wake me up, I may not have woken up. My DAD will catch these things and alert my Mama or Dada before it gets too bad.
A Diabetic Alert Dog is very expensive, as much as $30,000!!! It may seem like a lot of money but Mama and Dada believe this DAD will be an extra layer of protection that may save my life one day, so that makes it worth every penny. So here we are.... my parents have researched and decided where to get my DAD from. They have made my deposit and placed me on the waiting list. Hopefully it will be our turn to get my DAD by the end of summer or early fall. The proceeds we raise will go towards the cost of my scent trained Diabetes Alert Dog, our ongoing training, and funds to travel across the country when it is time to pick up our DAD.
Before I was diagnosed with T1D, my family didn't know much about it at all. Just in case you don't either, let me tell you a little bit. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that made my pancreas stop working. It cannot be cured and diet/exercise won't fix it. My body can no longer make insulin, so now my life depends on receiving insulin from shots. I get 2 types of insulin every day. Since I came home from the hospital, I have NEVER cried when my mama sticks me or gives me shots. I am such a brave and laid back baby! Insulin keeps my body from going into DKA again and keeps me alive. Despite all the work my parents and my endocrinology team do to keep my levels in range, I am still a roller coaster of highs and lows. Blood glucose highs can cause long term damage to my organs and many other complications. Low blood glucose which is the scariest part, can lead to coma and death. For a diabetic, lows can happen suddenly and for no reason at all. My mama is so scared I will have a low at night while sleeping and not wake up. She worries technology may fail or she may sleep through an alarm.
My DAD will be an extra layer of protection, especially at night! Any physical activity can cause a sudden and quick low. Once I start walking and become a more active toddler, the lows can happen much more frequently and much faster. My parents knows a DAD can allow me to be more of a normal little boy being able to play and stay safe because my DAD will let her know as soon as I start going low.
With the help of your generous donation, I will be able to have more of a normal childhood and I will have extra protection as I live with T1D. Mama, Dada, and I really appreciate any support you provide, whether it is a donation or a share to help us get this out there! Please help us get my Diabetic Alert Dog by donating or sharing!
Love,
Myles Murphy
Organizer
Ashley Murphy
Organizer
Trussville, AL
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