An association surprised a diabetic teenager by gifting her a specifically trained dog to assist her with her illness.
The presence of the animal by her side will reassure her and allow her to be more independent.
Until this Monday and this meeting with a young Goldendoodle named Penny, Grace Pilo had no idea that her life would change radically in the face of the disease.
Fifteen-year-old Grace Pilo lives in Seattle, in the northwest of the United States. When she was 10 years old, she learned that she had type 1 diabetes.
This form of the disease is characterized by poor or absent insulin production. Consequently, if her blood sugar drops, the teenager could faint, which is her greatest fear.
She says, in fact, that she falls asleep every night with the fear of not waking up in the morning.
Now she won’t have to live with that terror anymore, thanks to Penny. It was she who chose this name for her new 4-legged friend.
The 10-month-old dog has completed its basic training provided by 4E Healing Hearts, an organization based in Las Vegas, which surprised her.
Penny must now familiarize herself with the olfactory signals emitted by the girl’s body to recognize dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar.
When these occur, the dog will alert her young owner, wake her up if she’s sleeping, and may even seek help, as she has learned.
This final phase of training will end in December when Penny will be considered 100% operational. Penny is able to detect changes in blood sugar 20 to 60 minutes before Grace’s current device.
This will be a significant change for Grace Pilo, who will be reassured about her health and will be able to act long enough before potential crises during her treatments.
Jeanette Forrey, founder of 4E Healing Hearts, states that with her powerful talent and training, Penny will be able to detect dangerous changes in blood sugar much earlier than the device the teenager is currently wearing.
A difference ranging from 20 minutes to an hour. Jeanette Forrey also expresses her admiration for Grace Pilo: “She dances, is so active in the community. She’s really a role model for younger kids with type 1 diabetes.”
The mother does not hide her emotion, thinking that her daughter will finally be able to lead a normal life, study, and overcome her fears.
