On July 5th 2013 (just 2 days after Shelby’s 11th birthday) we were on our way to Blair Batson ICU via ambulance as we had just learned that our daughter is a Type 1 diabetic in critical condition. I THOUGHT I knew what I would be facing given that I have two Type 2 parents. Saying that I was wrong in my assumption is the understatement of the decade! During Shelby’s stay in ICU the staff of the hospital educated us thoroughly on this disease that has stricken our only child. Type 1 diabetes is an auto immune disorder where her pancreas was attacked by her immune system and all of the islets that produce insulin were killed. Type 1 is not preventable and or curable at this time. Shelby will take 4-5 insulin shots every day for the rest of her life or until there is a CURE we pray.

Shelby looked at me at one point in the hospital and asked with tears streaming down her face “Mommie what did I do wrong? Why is this happening to me?” This is a perfectly normal reaction from a small child, but that sure didn’t make it less heartbreaking to hear as a mom. I told my grief stricken child that God has BIG plans for her, but I really didn’t know how big until the night of July 15th. We had been home six days and were honestly struggling to get accustomed to the rigors of having a T1 child when something miraculous happened. Shelby was in bed reading and thought she was getting sleepy. Unbeknownst to the three HUMANS in the house Shelby’s blood sugar had dropped to 54, but this didn’t escape our UNTRAINED German Shepherd’s notice. Ransom began acting unusually erratic and would not leave my husband Justin alone until he followed him to Shelby’s bedside. We immediately tested Shelby and found her to be dangerously low. The chain of events that follow this miracle have been a blessing beyond measure! One of our local veterinarians got wind of the story and immediately set up a scholarship fund to train Ransom more in depth and set the scholarship to always be available to families in need of this service in the future. A local trainer is currently working with Ransom to finish what I believe God started and he will be training dogs in the future for children like Shelby. Shelby at one point told me that she was scared of dying in her sleep from low blood sugar. It is our sincerest hope that through this scholarship we can prevent newly diagnosed children from ever feeling this way. These special creatures can give families the security they so desperately need to maintain a normal life. Any and all tax deductible donations big or small will be greatly appreciated. This is Shelby’s calling and with all of your help we will make a difference.

For more information on how to get involved or if you know a child in need of a blood sugar detection dog please contact us at feedgirl167@gmail.com

Kim

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