4 Paws for Elani Spencer

In 2020, Elani was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a chronic illness that affects her everyday life. Type 1 diabetes is when the cells in a person’s body attacks the pancreas, and makes it so they can’t produce insulin. Insulin breaks down the sugar in the food we eat and converts it into energy. We need this energy to jump, smile, even blink our eyes. Without insulin, this sugar begins to build up in our bloodstream to dangerous levels. This is called hyperglycemia and can cause severe health issues and in serious cases, the person can develop diabetic ketoacidosis. This is when the body begins to feed on fat and muscle to sustain itself, and the fat is turned into ketones, which are fatal. In addition, a person can experience hypoglycemia as well. This is when there is not enough sugar in the bloodstream, and it weakens the body. The person can experience nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, blurry vision, muscle and joint pain, confusion, etc.

These are the things that Elani has to worry about 24/7. But, having a Diabetic Alert Dog could take off some of the daily stress of managing her diabetes. Diabetic Alert Dogs are specially trained to alert their owner if their blood sugar rises or falls. When our blood sugar is abnormal, our bodies releases a chemical that has a specific scent that only dogs can smell. Yes, it’s true a continuous glucose monitor can accomplish this, but Diabetic Alert Dogs can detect a change in glucose levels 15-30 minutes before any device can. Those few precious minutes can give Elani enough time for treatment before any symptoms occur. Many times, Elani has woken up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat because of a low blood sugar. Sometimes, she had close calls, like when her blood sugar got down to 29 (the normal range is 120-180). She was moments away from slipping into a diabetic coma, so it’s important there is someone else looking out for her so we can prevent this in the future. Diabetic dogs can fetch glucose monitors, cell phones, and low snacks (juice, crackers, etc.) They can even be trained to press a button to call an ambulance if Elani were to go unconscious.

And since Diabetic Dogs are considered service dogs, it will be able to go anywhere with Elani (school, work, airplanes, grocery stores, etc.) and give Elani’s mother the peace of mind of knowing she is taken care of if anything where to happen.

A Diabetic Dog can also provide emotional support. Being a 15-year-old girl is already hard enough, but adding on a chronic illness, Elani often feels overwhelmed and exhausted. Having a canine companion will help Elani feel less alone in this journey of managing her diabetes. And the dog could help her through times when the disease makes her feel helpless.

However, Diabetic Dogs are a huge investment and Elani could use your help! Insulin is one of the most expensive liquids in the world and paying for supplies is already a strain on our pockets. No one, especially a child shouldn’t have to worry about not being able to afford something that’s keeping them alive.

All donations are appreciated, big or small. Thank you for making a difference in Elani’s life.