Support Aidan's Diabetic Alert Dog Journey

Dear Friends,

We are reaching out to you with great excitement and a humble request for your support to help Aidan obtain a life-changing and life saving companion – a Diabetic Alert Dog. A service dog plays an invaluable role in enhancing the quality of life for individuals like Aidan, who live with insulin-dependent diabetes.

As you may know, Aidan was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes early last year. As we continue to learn how much this diagnosis has changed Aidan’s life, we have also seen how brave and strong Aidan can be. His diagnosis is not something that he faces alone, we face it together as a family. Unfortunately, we cannot take away any of the finger pokes, multiple daily injection shots, sensor changes, or pump infusions that he is faced with daily. All are scary for Aidan and all hurt Aidan. His strength has been amazing.

These circumstances have significantly restricted Aidan’s independence and have hindered his ability to participate fully in the everyday activities most of us take for granted. Aidan has always had a passion for baseball; he started playing the month he turned 3-years old and feels the happiest on the field. Since Aidan’s diagnosis, baseball has slowly been taken away from him, alongside other parts of his childhood. We learned last summer after Aidan collapsed in the outfield during baseball that being in the summer heat drops his blood sugar at a rate faster than technology can keep up with. Without any notice from his Continuous Glucose Monitor, Aidan”s legs gave out from under him as we ran to him in the outfield. His blood sugar dropped, and fast!

These events can be life-threatening - the truth is, technology fails and is often 20-30 minutes behind what Aidan’s body is actually doing. Looking back, if Aidan had a Diabetic Alert Dog at that point, we would have been alerted well before Aidan’s blood sugar dropped to a critical number. This was an incredibly scary moment for us as parents and for Aidan. Although Aidan is eager to get back on the field, he’s simply been too scared that his devices would not catch his low blood sugar in time - a fear that most children never have to carry while playing the sport they love, yet Aidan carries this fear every day.

After thorough research and consideration, it has become evident that a Diabetic Alert Dog would be an ideal partner to help support Aidan’s health and well-being. Diabetic Alert Dogs provide real and measurable help for people with diabetes. Hypoglycemia is an inevitable and acute side-effect of insulin therapy that can lead to severe medical problems including coma and death. It is imperative for people like Aidan to receive the earliest possible warning when his blood glucose is dropping. With Aidan’s blood sugars fluctuating so fast and abruptly, it is often hard for him to decipher between his blood sugar going low or high and often does not share what he is feeling. Though modern medical technology makes it possible for him to regularly test his blood sugar, there are many times when it’s problematic or even impossible. Diabetic Alert Dogs are always on alert for their partners, ready to warn them, typically in advance of medical technology, about critical changes in blood sugar levels. The alerting, companionship, assistance, and unwavering support provided by a trained service dog will restore autonomy, foster emotional well-being, and enable Aidan to lead a more fulfilling life. These dogs are more than just best friends; they are life-changing and Life-saving!

We are excited to share that Aidan has been approved by Early Alert Canines (EAC) as a qualified candidate to receive a Diabetic Alert Dog! This process can take 1 or 2 years. EAC is a reputable organization with over a decade’s experience placing Diabetic Alert Dogs. They are accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and are well respected within the service dog community.

To help us achieve this goal, we are humbly asking for your compassion and generosity to contribute towards the cost of acquiring a trained service dog. Your contribution can make this dream a reality and positively impact not just one life, but an entire community.

EAC is constantly fundraising so that clients only pay a portion of the $50,000 total cost to train and place a Diabetic Alert Dog, as well as provide ongoing support for the lifetime of the dog. Aidan’s portion is just 1/10th or $5000, to cover the cost of the extensive Team Training classes that he will have to attend.

We are wholeheartedly grateful for your generosity, which will transform Aidan’s life by granting him newfound independence, an improvement in his health and well-being, a renewed sense of hope, and the joy that a loyal service dog brings. And lets not forget, his confidence to safely return to the baseball field. Your support will contribute to creating a more inclusive and compassionate world where everyone, regardless of their challenges, can thrive.

Here are a few ways you can support Aidan’s journey:

We deeply appreciate your consideration and any assistance you can offer. Please know that no contribution is too small, and your act of kindness will have a profound impact on Aidan’s life. We understand that not everyone may be able to give, but if you could share our request with others who may be interested in making a difference, it would be equally valuable.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of this journey, supporting Aidan’s cause, and helping change his life forever. If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Warmest regards,

Aidan, Colten, Randi, & Andrew