Hello friends, family, and internet.
Those of you who know Parker know how hard our journey has been the past 3 years.
On January 2nd, 2022, we took Parker to his pediatrician after months of dealing with mood swings, Parker refusing to eat, drinking up to 10 16oz water bottles a day, and constant potty accidents. Our pediatrician tested his urine, which instantly showed protein, and then Parker got his first blood sugar reading. If you know Parker, you know he hates needles. After calming our boy down, we were told his blood sugar was so high the machine couldn’t get a reading, which meant we had to go straight to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Parker was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. After 2 days, we were sent home, and ever since, we have been on this journey helping Parker’s body a little extra.
Parker has had a really hard time mentally dealing with the fact his life was changed forever. He didn’t do anything wrong; his body just decided he needed to learn to be his pancreas. Being now 8 years old, this is a very hard job. We have a fantastic team that helps, but this past school year, we have been battling really hard low blood sugar battles or high blood sugar battles. Both keep him away from his classroom. Recently, I learned of an option: a diabetic service dog.
With your help, our goal is to get Parker another tool that will help make his life easier.
We are looking into working with Diabetic Alert Dogs of America
If Parker gets a service animal, they will be trained to alert for blood sugar trends of about 30-40 points. This gives them the ability to alert us 10 to 15 minutes before other technology can, keeping Parker in school and safe.
Our first goal is the deposit; we will need $3,000 for the first step.
After, we will be placed on a waiting list while they match us with a dog that suits our household and, most importantly, Parker’s needs.
Afterwards, we will go to Las Vegas for 2 days for training, where Parker will learn to handle his service dog, as well as meet his new friend and see if they’re a match.
After meeting, we will need the remaining amount to cover the cost of the training, as well as the 2 days we will need to make the trip from AZ to Vegas (hotel, gas, food, and missing work).
Parker has gone through a lot the past 3 years, and this would dramatically improve his life not only physically but mentally. Being made to feel different because of an illness you didn’t choose to have has really made Parker feel down about his life. By simply asking everyone to donate, share, and help, I can make my son’s life a little brighter. I will do whatever it takes.
Thank you for taking the time to read. If you can donate, please, anything will help. If not, please share and get the word out! A sweet, kind, amazing little boy needs our help!
