Rachel's Diabetes Alert Dog Fund
Donation protected
Hello! Thank you so much for reading my story and learning a little more about me.
My name is Rachel Southard. I’m not that different from you. I’m married to the love of my life (cliché, I know!) I’m a parent of two awesome little nuggets, I work full-time at my dream job, and on most days- the only thing I have to complain about is a dirty house and an empty bank account. However, on top of juggling all that comes with the above, I also live with a life threatening disease that requires constant needle pricks, blood sugar tests, insulin injections, and a 24/7 balance of medication and carbohydrates. Here’s the thing, the one drug that keeps me alive, can also kill me if not balanced just perfectly. “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”
All kidding aside, to be honest, if it weren’t for my two girls, I would have given up on the tenacity that this disease requires a long time ago. When I look into Charlee & Olive’s little blue eyes, I just want to hold on and be their mommy forever- here, on this earth. It’s up to me to do everything I can to keep myself healthy and on point so I can take them to school every morning, be at soccer games and tumbling practices, and college visits and wedding bells… I’m getting ahead of myself here, but that’s the point. I need your help to have access to every possible resource there is for me to not only stay alive, but live a long, healthy and functional life.
If you aren’t familiar with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), here is the long-story-short. T1D is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food. T1D strikes both children and adults at any age and suddenly. Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. Though T1D’s causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers play a role. There is currently nothing you can do to prevent it, and there is no cure.
To stay alive, I wear an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor 24/7. They don’t come off, ever, or I could die. My insulin pump delivers insulin throughout the day (think external pancreases) I have to count EVERY SINGLE CARB that I eat (yes, even when grazing on the kids leftovers!) and make sure I take the correct amount of insulin. If I take too much my blood sugar could drop dangerously low causing me to have a seizure and/or death. If I don’t take enough my blood sugars could go dangerously high which could lead to Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) which means my blood is acidic due to too much glucose in the blood.
There have many times that I’ve gone to bed and would not have woken up if it weren’t for the external devices connected to me setting off alarms. I’ve spent weekends in a hospital hooked up to fluids and close to DKA. I’ve run out of supplies and equipment while out of town and have had to find sketchy pharmacies to get what I need to stay alive. I’ve passed out, missed out and have been left out too many times due to this disease.
I’m sharing my story because with your financial help, I can get a trained Diabetes Alert Service Dog. Diabetes Alert Dogs are trained to alert diabetic owners in advance of low or high blood sugars before they become dangerous. That way their handlers can take steps to return their blood sugar to normal such as using glucose sweets or taking insulin. A Diabetes Alert Dog is specifically trained to react to the chemical change produced by blood sugar highs and lows. Our bodies are a unique makeup of organic chemicals- all of which have very specific smells. Low and high blood sugar levels release chemicals in the body that have a distinct odor that is undetectable by humans. Through training, the dogs are positively motivated to alert when these odors are detected.
These service dogs usually cost in the upwards of $10,000.00, and that is not a realistic purchase for our family. I currently spend close to $500/ month just on prescriptions and supplies alone. I’ve found a more affordable program and I know with the help from you, my friends, family and community this will be a life changer for me and my family. Thank you for your donation and support.
xoxo Rachel Southard
To learn more about Type 1 Diabetes, please visist www.jdrf.org
To learn more about Diabetes Service Dogs, please visit www.caresks.com
My name is Rachel Southard. I’m not that different from you. I’m married to the love of my life (cliché, I know!) I’m a parent of two awesome little nuggets, I work full-time at my dream job, and on most days- the only thing I have to complain about is a dirty house and an empty bank account. However, on top of juggling all that comes with the above, I also live with a life threatening disease that requires constant needle pricks, blood sugar tests, insulin injections, and a 24/7 balance of medication and carbohydrates. Here’s the thing, the one drug that keeps me alive, can also kill me if not balanced just perfectly. “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”
All kidding aside, to be honest, if it weren’t for my two girls, I would have given up on the tenacity that this disease requires a long time ago. When I look into Charlee & Olive’s little blue eyes, I just want to hold on and be their mommy forever- here, on this earth. It’s up to me to do everything I can to keep myself healthy and on point so I can take them to school every morning, be at soccer games and tumbling practices, and college visits and wedding bells… I’m getting ahead of myself here, but that’s the point. I need your help to have access to every possible resource there is for me to not only stay alive, but live a long, healthy and functional life.
If you aren’t familiar with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), here is the long-story-short. T1D is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food. T1D strikes both children and adults at any age and suddenly. Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. Though T1D’s causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers play a role. There is currently nothing you can do to prevent it, and there is no cure.
To stay alive, I wear an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor 24/7. They don’t come off, ever, or I could die. My insulin pump delivers insulin throughout the day (think external pancreases) I have to count EVERY SINGLE CARB that I eat (yes, even when grazing on the kids leftovers!) and make sure I take the correct amount of insulin. If I take too much my blood sugar could drop dangerously low causing me to have a seizure and/or death. If I don’t take enough my blood sugars could go dangerously high which could lead to Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) which means my blood is acidic due to too much glucose in the blood.
There have many times that I’ve gone to bed and would not have woken up if it weren’t for the external devices connected to me setting off alarms. I’ve spent weekends in a hospital hooked up to fluids and close to DKA. I’ve run out of supplies and equipment while out of town and have had to find sketchy pharmacies to get what I need to stay alive. I’ve passed out, missed out and have been left out too many times due to this disease.
I’m sharing my story because with your financial help, I can get a trained Diabetes Alert Service Dog. Diabetes Alert Dogs are trained to alert diabetic owners in advance of low or high blood sugars before they become dangerous. That way their handlers can take steps to return their blood sugar to normal such as using glucose sweets or taking insulin. A Diabetes Alert Dog is specifically trained to react to the chemical change produced by blood sugar highs and lows. Our bodies are a unique makeup of organic chemicals- all of which have very specific smells. Low and high blood sugar levels release chemicals in the body that have a distinct odor that is undetectable by humans. Through training, the dogs are positively motivated to alert when these odors are detected.
These service dogs usually cost in the upwards of $10,000.00, and that is not a realistic purchase for our family. I currently spend close to $500/ month just on prescriptions and supplies alone. I’ve found a more affordable program and I know with the help from you, my friends, family and community this will be a life changer for me and my family. Thank you for your donation and support.
xoxo Rachel Southard
To learn more about Type 1 Diabetes, please visist www.jdrf.org
To learn more about Diabetes Service Dogs, please visit www.caresks.com
Organizer
Rachel Southard
Organizer