Hello to my friends, family, and those I have never met willing to share or support. My name is Aventine Gully. Last year, I was your typical teenager running around with friends and enjoying the life I am blessed to have. As the year progressed, I noticed that maybe I was not like my other friends and was having trouble keeping up with the everyday activities I enjoy. I would have moments of energy, enjoying running around with friends and doing daily activities. And then, I would have long moments of extreme fatigue and could not find the energy to socialize or hang out.

In October of 2021, I became ill and did not have the strength to go to school or do any activities. As the weekend came and went, my health declined to the point where my parents had to take me to the emergency room early the following week. This is the last thing I remember. I was quickly admitted to the local hospital and given an IV and insulin drip until I was stabilized. This is where my family found out that I was in a Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) state and was on the verge of going into a coma.

I live in an area limited on specialized treatment and would require a medical evacuation back to a U.S. children’s hospital for further treatment. I later learned that I was a Type 1 diabetic (T1D). A condition requiring constant monitoring and daily insulin injections for the rest of my life.

Fast forward to today. My family and I have adjusted to what it means for me to have T1D, and we continue to research and learn more about the condition. I now wear a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) device on my stomach or arm to monitor my glucose levels and ensure I do not go back into DKA. In conjunction with my CGM, I also wear an insulin pump which keeps my glucose levels more manageable and closer to the recommended range.

I also learned of a wonderful non-profit organization (freedompaws.org) that breeds, trains, and places service dogs into families with conditions like mine. This dog is trained to be with me 24/7 and alert me when my levels are low or high… potentially saving my life. The cost for a diabetic-alert dog is not cheap. I am asking for your support and to share my story with those you know.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you!