Join us to help Jonah get a Diabetic Alert Dog
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This fundraiser is for John & Myrna Marie's son Jonah
[Hola! Es Myrna Marie. Este pedido de ayuda es para mi nene Jonah. Porfa, me dejas saber si necesitas traduccion. DTB.]
Tap 'Read More' to learn more about Jonah's Diagnosis, What is T1D, and Why a Diabetic Alert Dog?
Jonah’s Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
When Jonah went in for his 5 year check up, our lives immediately changed forever. We had noticed he seemed thin, but he was eating more at each meal than anyone else. We were buying him adult portions and he was eating everything. And he was drinking lots of liquids. At his check up we found out he had lost 1 pound from the year before. After checking his blood, Jonah was sent to the ER and admitted to the hospital. He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). We weren’t allowed to take him home until we were proficient in testing his blood sugar levels, calculating the amount of insulin needed, and correctly administering his medication. Overnight Jonah now needed 5-10 blood pricks accompanied by 4+ shots of insulin - daily. Regular needle pricks became a constant part of his life. Quite a life change for anyone. Although Jonah’s body was already in trouble, we are so thankful that his diagnosis happened as part of a check up instead of an ER visit.
What is T1D?
T1D just happens. It isn’t triggered by eating too much sugar or lack of exercise. It is an autoimmune disease that makes Jonah’s body stop producing insulin. Unlike Type 2, he cannot control this with food or exercise. If his blood sugar gets too high for long, he gets lots of acid in his body, starts to throw up, and requires professional medical attention. There are lots of negative long term effects of high blood sugar as well. If he gets too low, he can pass out, have a seizure, go into a coma, or even die. Night times are when blood sugar levels tend to drop and can get difficult to regulate.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/type-1-diabetes
What makes it so tough?
Insulin keeps him alive. Managing the blood sugar level is a constant vigil that affects the whole family. Our middle child knows his job is to entertain the youngest while dad or mom works with Jonah to medicate. Jonah now wears a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor). This probe under his skin reads the blood sugar level and alerts us when he is out of range. This still needs to be calibrated and changed, but it cuts down the number of blood checks needed daily. Though helpful, problems can occur (low battery, calibration gets off, probe is dislodged, etc). Most doctors would tell you to cut back on carbs/sugars if your blood sugar gets above 165. Jonah’s blood sugar can go from 50 (low) to over 400 in less than 20 minutes - and can drop just as fast. The sugar in the blood changes faster than the insulin that helps counteract it. It can be very discouraging, but more importantly very dangerous.
Diabetic Alert Dog (D.A.D.)?
Jonah has been asking for a dog for a couple of years. Earlier this year we placed him on a waiting list to receive a diabetic alert dog. DADs are trained to detect changes in blood sugar levels before they become dangerous. They can detect changes up to 30 minutes quicker than the CGM he wears. We believe that having a DAD can help us provide even better care for our son not to mention the additional emotional support we think he’ll get from his new friend.
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/diabetic-alert-dog/
Why are we asking for help?
The financial impact of T1D is no less than significant, but we’ve worked that into our budget - we hit our medical deductibles every year. We’re reaching out for help to cover some of the costs to train, travel cost to pick-up, house, and continue to train our new 4 legged friend (we just found out Dec 17 that we could get a dog from the current litter). Our goal is to raise $12,500. Most of that goes to pay for the initial training, flights to go pick up the DAD, necessary documents, and ongoing training. A portion of it will go to miscellaneous needs of having a pet, veterinary requirements, and insurance.
Be careful what you let your kids pray for
Earlier this year Jonah started praying for a dog and a baby sister. He’s going to get both in 2021. His 8th birthday marks 3 years of T1D, it’s also the day he finds out about his DAD (Dec 22). As crazy as 2020 has been, it looks like 2021 has a lot more in store for the Schortinghouses. If you’re able please come by to visit and see the (2) new additions to our family. We pick up the DAD Jan 16th, and our little girl is supposed to show up mid-April.
Thanks
If it wasn’t for his medication, Jonah wouldn’t be alive. We thank God for blessing us with the means to enjoy our son and appreciate life on a whole new level. God has been so very good to our family and we can’t thank Him enough. And we also want to thank you for your love, prayers, support, and encouragement. May God richly bless you!
Feel free to Share Link with others!
[Hola! Es Myrna Marie. Este pedido de ayuda es para mi nene Jonah. Porfa, me dejas saber si necesitas traduccion. DTB.]
Tap 'Read More' to learn more about Jonah's Diagnosis, What is T1D, and Why a Diabetic Alert Dog?
Jonah’s Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
When Jonah went in for his 5 year check up, our lives immediately changed forever. We had noticed he seemed thin, but he was eating more at each meal than anyone else. We were buying him adult portions and he was eating everything. And he was drinking lots of liquids. At his check up we found out he had lost 1 pound from the year before. After checking his blood, Jonah was sent to the ER and admitted to the hospital. He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). We weren’t allowed to take him home until we were proficient in testing his blood sugar levels, calculating the amount of insulin needed, and correctly administering his medication. Overnight Jonah now needed 5-10 blood pricks accompanied by 4+ shots of insulin - daily. Regular needle pricks became a constant part of his life. Quite a life change for anyone. Although Jonah’s body was already in trouble, we are so thankful that his diagnosis happened as part of a check up instead of an ER visit.
What is T1D?
T1D just happens. It isn’t triggered by eating too much sugar or lack of exercise. It is an autoimmune disease that makes Jonah’s body stop producing insulin. Unlike Type 2, he cannot control this with food or exercise. If his blood sugar gets too high for long, he gets lots of acid in his body, starts to throw up, and requires professional medical attention. There are lots of negative long term effects of high blood sugar as well. If he gets too low, he can pass out, have a seizure, go into a coma, or even die. Night times are when blood sugar levels tend to drop and can get difficult to regulate.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/type-1-diabetes
What makes it so tough?
Insulin keeps him alive. Managing the blood sugar level is a constant vigil that affects the whole family. Our middle child knows his job is to entertain the youngest while dad or mom works with Jonah to medicate. Jonah now wears a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor). This probe under his skin reads the blood sugar level and alerts us when he is out of range. This still needs to be calibrated and changed, but it cuts down the number of blood checks needed daily. Though helpful, problems can occur (low battery, calibration gets off, probe is dislodged, etc). Most doctors would tell you to cut back on carbs/sugars if your blood sugar gets above 165. Jonah’s blood sugar can go from 50 (low) to over 400 in less than 20 minutes - and can drop just as fast. The sugar in the blood changes faster than the insulin that helps counteract it. It can be very discouraging, but more importantly very dangerous.
Diabetic Alert Dog (D.A.D.)?
Jonah has been asking for a dog for a couple of years. Earlier this year we placed him on a waiting list to receive a diabetic alert dog. DADs are trained to detect changes in blood sugar levels before they become dangerous. They can detect changes up to 30 minutes quicker than the CGM he wears. We believe that having a DAD can help us provide even better care for our son not to mention the additional emotional support we think he’ll get from his new friend.
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/diabetic-alert-dog/
Why are we asking for help?
The financial impact of T1D is no less than significant, but we’ve worked that into our budget - we hit our medical deductibles every year. We’re reaching out for help to cover some of the costs to train, travel cost to pick-up, house, and continue to train our new 4 legged friend (we just found out Dec 17 that we could get a dog from the current litter). Our goal is to raise $12,500. Most of that goes to pay for the initial training, flights to go pick up the DAD, necessary documents, and ongoing training. A portion of it will go to miscellaneous needs of having a pet, veterinary requirements, and insurance.
Be careful what you let your kids pray for
Earlier this year Jonah started praying for a dog and a baby sister. He’s going to get both in 2021. His 8th birthday marks 3 years of T1D, it’s also the day he finds out about his DAD (Dec 22). As crazy as 2020 has been, it looks like 2021 has a lot more in store for the Schortinghouses. If you’re able please come by to visit and see the (2) new additions to our family. We pick up the DAD Jan 16th, and our little girl is supposed to show up mid-April.
Thanks
If it wasn’t for his medication, Jonah wouldn’t be alive. We thank God for blessing us with the means to enjoy our son and appreciate life on a whole new level. God has been so very good to our family and we can’t thank Him enough. And we also want to thank you for your love, prayers, support, and encouragement. May God richly bless you!
Feel free to Share Link with others!
Organizer
John Schortinghouse
Organizer
Zebulon, NC
