For the last year, our daughter Karina struggled with unexplained fatigue, slow healing, and multiple emergency room visits. Despite being told she was just dehydrated, I knew something was wrong. In early 2026, Karina lost so much weight that we couldn’t ignore it anymore. On February 17, I took her to urgent care, and we were immediately sent to the emergency room. After three days in the hospital, we were transferred to Stanford for a diagnosis, confirmation, and treatment. Karina was diagnosed with type one diabetes, and our lives changed overnight. While we await a pump, we continue daily manual injections, and Karina’s blood sugar fluctuates frequently. We learned that having a pet can help with stress, anxiety, and even blood sugar regulation. We hoped to get a puppy for Karina’s 10th birthday, and soon after, we found Oliver—a Basenji mix from Maui—at Woods. Within 24 hours, Oliver began alerting differently to Karina’s high and low blood sugars. He’s the perfect age for service dog and therapy dog training, and we found a local trainer with years of experience. The funds raised will help cover the costs of his initial and advanced training, as well as necessary supplies and registration. We’ve had so many people ask how they can help as we learn to manage Karina’s new diagnosis. Her life will forever be impacted by type one diabetes, and we hope this journey is made easier with Oliver by her side every step of the way. We’ve always felt we could take care of everything ourselves, but our community has reached out to support us. This fundraiser is the best way to help while we tackle medical bills, deductibles, coinsurance, insurance premiums, and uncovered medical supplies. We know how important it is for Oliver’s training to occur while he’s still a pup, even though we’ll miss him immensely during training. Donations can be made through GoFundMe, or directly to the family. Your support means the world to us, and we’re grateful for any help you can provide.

Thank you!