On December 2, 2020 Katie was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic.  Her once functioning body, had turned against her and destroyed both her beta cells (the ones that produce insulin) and her alpha cells (the ones that produce glucagon).  Her journey has not been easy, yet she's faced it all bravely.  She volunteered for the PROTECT Study, to help Teplizumab earn FDA clearance to be the first diseases-modifying drug to delay the onset of Type 1.  This past fall she started her #DiabeticDuck campaign to spread awareness about the signs of T1, as well as, what it's like to live with Type 1.  With all that Katie has done to try to help others, we now need your help to support HER.  As many of you know she struggles with something called hypoglycemia unawareness, which leaves her unaware to the symptoms of low blood sugar.  These symptoms would normally warn a person that their brain and other organs are starved of glucose (which is necessary for survival and function) and alert a person to treat their hypo - Katie's body unfortunately does NOT respond to cues and she's often not physically able to feel her lows which is extremely dangerous.  Her blood sugar often drops down into the 30s (anything below 70 is low for a T1 Diabetic), which puts her at risk for seizures, loss of consciousness and even death.  This past spring on her way to 6th grade camp - Katie's blood sugar dropped to a critical level, causing her to lose consciousness and seize.  After I administered her rescue meds on the side of the road and waited for paramedics to arrive, the very first words out of Katie's mouth when she started to come to were, "If I had a D.A.D. I bet I wouldn't have gone low". 

While she does wear a CGM (continuous glucose monitor), these tools are not 100% accurate and are delayed by 15 min. They help add a layer of safety to Katie's everyday life, but even better is the amazing nose of a diabetic alert dog that is trained to alert a diabetic to their dropping blood sugar up to 30 minutes PRIOR to the low.  They do this through their amazing olfactory receptors that can smell the chemical isoprene, which is released by a diabetic when their blood sugar is dropping!  Many DADs (as they're affectionally called) are also trained to retrieve items for their human such as their glucose meter, juice, and even alert others if their human has lost consciousness or needs help.  Our family has gone through classes to learn how DADs are trained, the science behind their amazing noses, the laws that protect service dogs and Katie's rights AND responsibilities for when she is matched with her DAD.  The other amazing thing about a DAD is that it is a true companion for Katie Bug, not just a tool!  T1 has been both physically and emotionally draining for Katie, since her 2 critical lows this past spring, her anxiety relating to Type 1 has drastically increased.  We are praying and believing that having a sidekick by her side will boost not just her physical well-being, but her emotional well-being.

Adding another layer of safety to Katie's everyday life will also help our ENTIRE family feel more confident in Katie's care.  Since Katie's diagnosis I personally am averaging 5 hours of sleep or LESS at night - waking several times to check on her numbers.  I cannot tell you the absolute fear I have when I realize I have slept more than 2 hours at a time - I am afraid I'm going to look at my phone and see that I've missed a critical low.  These superhero sidekicks are trained to alert even in the dead of night - that way if I miss an alert for a low blood sugar, or even a high blood sugar due to faulty pump (which is also extremely dangerous), Katie's DAD would be there to make sure she got the help she needed.

Through our research we have found that DADs that are trained PROPERLY are expensive! Early Alert Canines, based out of Concord, CA is one of the few organizations that is accredited through Assistance Dog International.  Raising, training, and honing the skills of these medical dogs costs upwards of $50,000 EACH - yet EAC knows how critical they are to their humans, and they offer the dogs at a fraction of that cost. The funds raised will go towards her down payment, as well as the initial cost of the dog.  Our family will also have to travel to California in order for Katie to attend camp to learn how to work with her dog and for graduation.  Any funds raised over the amount will be placed in an account for Katie to travel annually to get her dog "recertified" (EAC requires the team to travel back annually to make sure the team is doing well and hone in any skills that need tweaking or updating).  Lastly, in true Katie spirit - she is wanting to set aside some funds in order to "pay-it-forward" to other T1 Warriors who will get a DAD after her.  While we are blessed by an amazing army across the globe (thanks to the literal Army) - not every family is able to raise the funds as easily, so Katie would like to help the next person as well.

Our family appreciates all of the love and support, and ALWAYS we appreciate the prayers!