Photo: KVVU Fox 5
A local family here in Las Vegas in hoping a specially trained alert dog will help their diabetic daughter through Pre-School!
Kay Posey is a four-year-old preschooler that has a big enough personality to fill an entire room! Her mom, Jesscia Drake, explains "Our Hallway is covered in pictures of Kay. Everything is about Kay. We do everything for her. With such an amazing support system, Kay Posey is able to go through life with Type 1 Diabetes.
Kay Posey was born with Down Syndrome, then later on was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. She has to wear a Glucose Monitor and insulin pump on the back of her arms with so much strength! It is highlighted that this technology isn't perfect. Drake, Kay's mother, explains that the technology can sometimes be 20-30 points off of her blood sugar and sometimes even failing in the middle of the night which can be very dangerous.
Kay is also limited in what she can express. She can't explain when she is feeling dizzy or sick and that is why a furry friend can easily help keep track of Kay's levels in an even faster way than technology!
Shelby Joachimi, Lead Trainer and Client Advisor of Diabetic Alert Dogs of America says, "The dogs do tend to be about 10 to 15 minutes faster than the technology." Diabetic Alert Dogs of America is a Las Vegas-based organization that train diabetic alert dogs locally and then match them to families. The dogs are trained to alert when their owners glucose levels are out of range, and only through their paw! Through saliva samples of their owner and special training, alert dogs are constantly training for 9 months for their owner. If the client's glucose levels are too high, they smell sweet, and if it is low then the dogs will smell something acidic.
The emotional support is something that comes naturally! The kids with these alert dogs are excited to talk about Type 1 Diabetes and how their furry best friend is able to help them out every day! These alert dogs are in high demand and the wait list for a dog is at about 6 months now. Kay's mom says there is no wait too long for peace of mind and have recently joined the waitlist.
"These dogs, they're absolutely priceless for what they do," Jessica Drake says.
Their family is looking for donations so that Kay Posey has an Alert Dog to support her through her Diagnosis! You can donate to her GoFundMe here!
Source: KVVU Fox 5