Story
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💙For those who do not know me, Hello! My name is Jewl, I’m a Type-1 Diabetic, and this is my story...💙
I started getting sick the of summer of 2017. Up until this point in my life, I had been a very heathy kid so nobody, including myself, ever would’ve expected what was coming next…
Ive always enjoyed activities that allowed me to be creative and spontaneous like climbing and hiking or making art. As a little girl my parents and grandparents never failed to remind me just how strong and capable I was. Because of this, from a young age I believed in myself, and I knew that I could do anything I set my heart on. [Well, almost anything… I did try flying like Mary Poppins once by jumping off of a dresser with a plastic grocery bag held above my head, but that didn’t really work out😅]
The day that I was diagnosed with Type-1 Juvenile Diabetes in November of 2017, it really felt like the chapter of my life called “Youth”, was over. I was in shock, and couldn’t believe that I would have to take multiple shots everyday just to live. Little did I know, the shots were only the beginning of it, and not nearly the hardest part of living with this illness. Loosing hours of sleep some nights to manage my blood sugars, enduring rollercoaster highs and lows that leave me exhausted and a shell of myself, trying with all my power to control something just to be knocked down again and again, these are the hardest parts of having Type-1 Diabetes. It seemed that for the first time in my life, “putting my heart into it” didn’t matter. The creative and spontaneous spirit I once believed could help me touch the sky was so quickly broken by this merciless disease. I felt helpless, and alone…
A couple years after receiving my diagnosis, I saw that the local fire department was looking for new volunteer first responders. Immediately my heart knew I wanted to sign up, but I thought to myself, “if only I wasn’t diabetic, I could do that”. Yet, a little voice from my past in the back of my mind reminded me, I can do anything If I set my heart on it. That day I talked to my dad about my idea, he was so encouraging despite my doubts and drove me up to the department himself so I could register. Diabetes and all… I was a volunteer firefighter, and a dang good one at that, for 9 months before school and life took me in different directions and I had to leave the department. I am certain that this experience was hugely responsible for guiding me back to the hopeful ambition I once knew.
Since that fateful day in November of 2017, I have grown so much from being faced with this condition. At first I felt defeated... and I'd be lying if I said I don't still feel that way sometimes. But more often than not, I feel like an overcomer. I see how I have become stronger, and I am empowered to live my life to the fullest despite the everyday difficulties of managing my condition. I will not let diabetes hold me back #T1DStrong 💙💪
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Did You Know?
- Diabetic Alert Dogs are 84% accurate in detecting low blood sugar episodes. This number was shown to be as high as 100% accurate in dogs that received proper training. (Rooney NJ, Guest CM, Swanson LCM, Morant SV. How effective are trained dogs at alerting their owners to changes in blood glycaemic levels? variations in performance of glycaemia alert dogs.)
- After receiving service dogs, diabetic patients have been shown to experience significantly fewer low blood sugar episodes. For some patients, receiving a service dog was shown to entirely eliminate loosing consciousness, which is a potentially life-threatening result of severe low blood sugar episodes. (Rooney NJ, Morant S, Guest C. Investigation into the value of trained glycaemia alert dogs to clients with type i diabetes.)
- Service dogs for diabetics have been shown to… “Increase quality of life by (75%), Decrease disease-related fears by (61.1%), and Increase the ability to engage in physical activity by (75%)”. , , , , Diabetic Alert Dogs: A Preliminary Survey of Current Users.”
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Whether its Diabetes, Autism, Seziure Disorders, or something else, all disabilites require change and sacrafice to properly manage. At first these sacrafices may seem to the individual to hinder their ability to live life liberally and pursue happiness. I can attest to this feeling on account of my first year as a diabetic... However, since then I have learned alot about my disability and taken initiative in seeking out the care and support which allows me to have a greater quality of life.
I am passionate about encouraging others to take part in the facilitation of service dog placement because I believe that Little Angels gives a priceless gift to each and every one of their recipents. I believe that they are truly giving the gift of greater independance to those who need it most.
I want to encourage everyone by reminding you that there are many ways to contribute to this cause. Monitary donations are ofcourse greatly appreciated! Moreover, I encourage you to also share this fundraiser with as many people as you can. We need your help make this possible.
About the process: "We train dogs to assist their recipients with Mobility Tasks, Seizure & Diabetic Alert, Hearing Loss, Autism, PTSD, Panic Attacks as well as many other needs. Most of the dogs we place are puppies that have come from our own breeding program and are raised from birth with the specific goal of being an Assistance Dog. Others are lucky enough to be rescued from local shelters and rescue programs and end up changing the lives of others. Each dog's training is personalized to help their individual handlers needs. For more information please click on the following link."