Hi, my name is Kessid. I have been a diabetic for 5 years but I'm still learning. My parents have been constantly looking for something that could help me control my sugars. We found our answer in the Diabetic Alert Dog, Murphy.

What a lot of people don't understand is that when my sugar is low, it is very dangerous. I could become confused, unconscious or could end up having seizures, or going into a coma. If my blood sugar is high, it can give my body long term consequences, such as bad eyesight, and organ damage. I usually cannot detect that my sugar is dropping until I already start feeling dizzy and confused. I also don't wake up at night if I am going low so, I could sleep right through it which would be really bad. Doctors call this hypoglycemia unawareness. The battle to keep my sugars balanced is one my family and I fight daily. My family takes many precautions to keep my sugar balanced but, it's not very realistic for a 7th grader to check their glucose every hour. If I was blessed with the funds to get Murphy, then I wouldn't have to constantly check my sugar because he would be monitoring it for me, day and night.

With their amazing sense of smell, Diabetic Alert Dogs, or “DADs” for short, are trained to detect sudden changes in blood sugar levels. If Murphy detects that my sugar is dropping or rising outside the normal range, he will alert me by nudging or licking my hand or tugging on my clothes. He can also bring me my glucose meter and snacks, while I am still well enough to be able to check my sugar level and take care of myself. If I don't respond or I don't wake up, he will go find a familiar face that he trusts, such as my parents.

I thank you for any donation you give! Also, please repost our pictures and updates and hashtag #murphy4kessid. Please spread the word