Jeff was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 15 and Jeff is now 24. It has been a long and daily struggle, sometimes even an hourly one with the permanent disability. People with Type 1 Diabetes can’t get energy from the food they eat. Their pancreas doesn’t work at all, and they are insulin dependent for the rest of their lives. Jeff has to prick his fingers to test his blood sugar up to 10 times a day. He has an insulin pump that is connected to him constantly and he changes the site every 3 days. Also, diabetes can cause irreparable damage to major internal organs causing us to live in daily fear. Though we have used many therapies and treatments including a glucose monitor, they aren’t always accurate and 100% reliable. This is why Jeff needs a Diabetic Service Dog. These dogs are specially trained to sense blood sugar highs/lows, call 911 in an emergency, and retrieve vital resources like glucose tabs, juice, and insulin when Jeff is feeling too weak. A service dog would mean no longer living in fear of Jeff falling into a diabetic coma in his sleep, no more fear of long work days, and the peace of mind we need. Just last year one morning his roommate called to say she couldn’t wake him up for work. His dad got there before the ambulance and injected his glucagon but he still did not wake up, the ambulance arrived and inserted a glucose IV solution and Jeff finally woke up. We don’t even want to think of what would have happened if his roommate wasn’t there. We know that a dog would have detected and notified Jeff.
The benefit will be held at the Vernon County Fairgrounds in Viroqua, WI at the Vernon Memorial Healthcare Expo Center Building. We will be serving food, have vendors, a silent auction, raffles, music by Bjorn Berg, and special guests, The Peterson Farm Brothers!!!! Please visit the Facebook Event Page and let Jeff & his family know you’re coming!!!
