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Support Everyone for Ecco & Dog Guides
I want to share our family's journey with Type One Diabetes (T1D) and now the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.
My daughter Emma was diagnosed with T1D at 22 months of age and this diagnosis changed our lives forever. T1D is an autoimmune disease where your pancreas stops creating insulin. Insulin is what turns carbohydrates that you eat into energy. Emma must have insulin to stay alive. She wears an insulin pump to receive this life-saving treatment, and a continuous glucose monitor to let her know when her sugars are low or high. In order to avoid long-term health complications anyone living with T1D must have good sugar control and these tools assist with her managing this chronic disease. It is a 24/7 job and is exhausting for Emma. With her diagnosis at such a young age, this diagnosis changed my life when she was young and unable to manage this on her own. Her brother, Zachary, is a T1D expert and is a support person for Emma as well.
Some individuals with T1D can develop hypoglycemic unawareness - their body loses the ability to detect a low blood sugar. This can lead to dangerous situations and even death if a low blood sugar is not treated. Unfortunately, Emma also has this condition. Here is where LFCDG comes into our story. They provided Emma with Ecco, a diabetes alert dog in November 2022. Ecco can detect low blood sugars and alert Emma. She is not only a best friend for Emma she is her most accurate medical assistance device. She alerts Emma before her continuous glucose monitor and is able to bark for help in the event she collapses. Emma is in first year University and living on her own. Without Ecco as her roommate - I am not certain if she would be able to live away from home.
When Emma and I were attending our two-week training at the LFCDG school we learned about the 6 other amazing programs available and were beyond impressed by everyone who works there and their mission. Following Emma & Ecco's graduation as a Dog Guide team, our family started volunteering and participating in the Walk for Dog Guides. This will be our 3rd annual walk for Dog Guides. I am very proud Emma has been selected to be an ambassador the Diabetes Alert program.
I was starting to look for a new career and a role had been created to support the Difference Campaign - a $50 million campaign to build a new national training school in Oakville. I was fortunate to be hired for this role and I am proud to be the Officer, Campaign Major Gift working to raise funds to build an exceptional building for this lifechanging organization.
