Diabetic Alert - A Testimonial

California was a whirl wind of training sessions, volunteer outreach, team building and puppy love.. It was 12 hour days and excitement and a little bit of missing home..

In 7 weeks, there was never a moment when we thought, “is it worth it”.. “is it worth it for my family”…. The reason it was always worth it, spending an immersive 6 weeks at the National Institute for Canine Services and Training (NICST), hundreds of miles away from home, was the benefit that these Diabetic Alert dogs make in the lives of people living with Type 1 Diabetes..

Pebbles Miller is a volunteer at NICST and has been living with Type 1 diabetes for over 40 years. We met her often at the training center volunteering with the team. She has a Diabetic Alert dog and shared her story with us. Her commitment is enviable and strong and in a few sentences, she reminded us why this work is so important..

“Diabetes is a lonely disease that slowly destroys you from the inside out” she explains, the loneliness causing depression.. “When I got my service dog, was the first time I met other diabetics like me who needed help - I got a soul mate who was always with me and I never felt alone. At a party, in the bathroom, testing my blood sugars and correcting an event, I wasn’t alone anymore. He told me that something wasn’t right and came with me to fix things. It was like a giant boulder was lifted off of my shoulders”…

It’s stories like these that remind us of the impact our medical alert programs have in the community. Our Diabetic Alert dogs will save lives. Pebbles saved hers, and we’re all grateful for that.