I would like everyone to know that I am not alone at Holiday City at Berkeley doing it all by myself. Bernadette Whitmeyer from the Social and Civic Club is out there as well doing as much or more. There are also many seniors that have donated as well and we want everyone to know that this is an effort by the senior community. No one person is doing it alone.

I am in Aww at the response of everyone involved. I have and will probably never have the words to ever thank you all enough. When our son first got dx. I thought our lives were over, that we couldn't cope. Our NEW NORMAL is what we now lived, and will forever. A different way of life than anyone else. My son begged me in the hospital to take it away, he would be good, he promised that he wouldn't be a problem anymore. I had to tell my child, that this time no kisses or hugs or I love you's were going to change anything, it wasn't going to make him better. He was sick, and always will be until a cure is found. That broke my heart, and I cried as if I just lost my son. With that being said, he stopped crying looked at me and turned away. The night we came home was Christmas night at 11pm, my son asked me to sleep with him, I asked him why, he said..because if anything happens to me I don't want to be alone. Well, I don't have to tell you how I felt, any parents heart would just break. (continue below)

I would also like to thank our friends Lisa Ferrari-Marino who helped me with a medium fundraiser a long with her sister Gina Daily who made the wonderful baskets that I auctions off. Also Lynda Fico Gaughan, whom with her son Michael who also has type 1 diabetes, has gone out to bussiness and also has gotten some donations for our Silent Auction and also to her sister Theresa Kolojeski who has done the same and also went out in the freezing cold with me as well! No thank you will ever be enough for all the Love, support, understanding and effort that has been put forth by EVERYONE involved!! And we Deven's family thank you ALL so very much!! Sherry Dillane

From all of the seniors that have already donated and who when they learn about Deven will donate we are glad to help. $20,000 is a lot of money to try to raise. We will do it even if it is one dollar at a time. Nothing is more important than our children and Deven is out child.

RedonRed,

No slack, the reason why he doesn't go back on the shots is easy. Yes, I stated it's his choice. 26% of people with diabetes has Hyperglycemic unawareness, Deven being one of them. Because he got Dx with that after the pump, if he stayed on the shots he would have been Dx with that condition later not sooner. He is just one that doesn't feel it. With the shots, he would have to take about 4 - 6 shots a day just to eat, and then when his blood sugar is high for a correction. With the pump, everything works through that. The only time he has to take a shot now is above 280..and then every 3 days his pump site (inset site).. Also, three radio stations have been annoucing it. RedonRed..the definition for his condition is below...Thank you for your concern and good wishes! And dont worry, we have been asked that question many times. When people see though what our children, our's meaning on the D.O.C. (diabetes online community) they understand..Again, thank you for your well wishes, I appreciate it!! Sherry

Hypoglycemia Unawareness

A condition in which a person with diabetes does not experience the usual early warning symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Ordinarily, when a person’s blood sugar level drops, the body tries to raise it by releasing the hormones glucagon and epinephrine. Glucagon spurs the liver to release stored glucose. Epinephrine (or adrenaline) signals the liver to produce more glucose. It also causes the typical early warning signs of hypoglycemia, which include sweating, trembling, butterflies in the stomach, tingling, numbness, and rapid pulse.

People with hypoglycemia unawareness don’t experience these symptoms. Instead, without warning, they lapse into severe hypoglycemia, becoming confused or disoriented or falling unconscious. These individuals have lost the epinephrine response to low blood sugar, along with the symptoms epinephrine normally brings on.

There are several possible causes of hypoglycemia unawareness. It can be caused by nerve damage that affects the body’s ability to secrete epinephrine. People with Type 1 diabetes sometimes develop impaired epinephrine secretion. It can also be the result of very tight blood sugar control, which can dull the body’s ability to feel a drop in blood sugar level. Sometimes, maintaining slightly higher blood sugar levels for a period of time can improve the ability to detect low blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia unawareness can be dangerous to both the person experiencing it and those around him. Because he doesn’t realize that his blood sugar is low, someone with this condition may not know that he is not thinking clearly or that he shouldn’t drive. If his hypoglycemia goes untreated, he can lose consciousness, and his blood glucose level will continue to fall.

If you have experienced hypoglycemia without warning, be sure to discuss it with your health-care team. They can help you reverse the situation.

Lori,
I'm sorry to hear this. As another "D" mom I know exactly how you feel and what you also go through as well as your son. We don't set the pump alarm at night (he gets up early, but he won't hear it anyway) we set ours and we check him. Our school is great with him. He checks in the class room, and the teacher reminds him as well everyday, just in case. I advocated for our school system to implement diabetes education and awareness, I got in not only in our school district, but also in ALL of Ocean County Schools! It will now be In the curriculum. Are you on any of the DOC (diabetes online community) Yes, the CGM (constant Glucose Monitoring system) we have and our research and what we hear from some friends that have it we don't think it's an option for Deven. It is again like the inset site, but by the time the CGM (Primes, I guess) it's already day 1, meaning it takes 24 hours to really start to work. Also, a lot of people we know have had infections..We also have some that have both, the D.A.D. and the CGM as well..And they say the D.A.D. is 100% more efficient than the CGM. So with all the research on that as well and talking to other on the DOC, we have chosen the D.A.D. If you would like if you are on face book, my site is as my name is here. I pray for a cure everyday. As we say in the DOC, I pray for great numbers tonight and every night for your son. From one "D" mom to another.

Please stop by Rpm Auto Sales at 980 rt 9 in. Bayville to purchase your tickets to this fundraising event for this beautiful boy! There will be plenty to eat, a silent auction with some great prizes and plenty of friends on hand for this very serious situation that this family is in. Please come out and help one of our own in Berkeley !

And if you can't afford to buy a ticket or if you can't attend the event stop by and donate $1.00. That would be one dollar closer to the $20,000 that we need.

Sherry...just wanted to say thank you for that explanations and not castrating me for my voicing my opinion. You are a very courageous and wonderful mom and I do hope that you and your team raise all the monies needed to get Deven his much needed dog.
I've said it before and I'll say it again... You learn something new every day ! Thank you for the education!
God Bless you and your family.

RedonRed,
Our son was dx. two years ago Christmas Eve. And that is true..Every day I learn something new about diabetes. Like three months ago. Some children wet the bed with high blood sugar levels during the night. Example with Deven, not all the time..over 280 or 300, that usually means that their blood sugar is too high and their body is trying to excrete the excess sugar through the urine. They wet the bed simply because it is too much too fast, the body simply goes into SURVIAL MODE, the body is trying to survive. So I don't cringe anymore when that happens, instead I sigh a sign of relief that our son woke up that morning. So Yes, I learn something new every day. And no, you just asked a question, you weren't harsh or unsympathetic and I thank you for that. There are also things people don’t see like bed wetting, and what that does to our children, changing inset sites and taking shots, the attitudes of highs and or lows, , the not doing something because of a severe high or severe low or ketones, the missed schools days, the infections that just won’t heal, and so on. Diabetes is an invisible disease, when you look at our son you would say, “He doesn’t look sick” but it WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE” the inside. That is why we call it the INVISIBLE DISEASE.. There is a lot to learn, and three hours in before taking your child home just isn’t enough for a life time of care. So you have to do the research on your own

. I am also involved in getting diabetes education into our school systems, which I did in Berkeley! I also had the honor of a phone call from the Ocean County curriculum consortatorium a week ago to congratulate me for my efforts, they paid off. Ocean County Schools (public I think) will now have in their curriculum diabetes education for all staff members of the schools. Including bus drivers, etc. My next plan is to get it into the whole state of NJ. It’s something that our children need. To go to school and learn safely. And us as parents won’t have to worry if their blood sugar drops or rises, someone will know what to do. Just the other day was when I learned that 26% of people suffer from Hypoglycemic Unawareness. I do learn something new every day. And I have been learning that there are people out there that really do care for those they don't know and want to help and make a difference!! Again, thank you..And have a great day!! :) P.S.= You can always buy a ticket to our fundraiser for the 25th of this month...there will be a trainer, and owner there with a D.A.D. dog to explain and also demonstrate how they do what they do! Sherry

I feel for this family, it must be so hard. I wonder why the dog cost so much? I know these dogs can help and I truly hope the money can be raised, however, that is alot of money and can take a long time. Isn't there any way the the Guardian Angel Service Dogs can offer the dog at a discount or somehow help lowering the cost? I personally donate to the Guiding Eyes For the Blind whenever I can. At this time, I am currently off of work for the next month or so caring for my husband who just had surgery this week, but I can find it in my heart to come up with $20 to donate towards a ticket, although i will not be able to attend the event. I will be contacting diabetes mom by email for her address. If everyone can just donate a little something, it will help. Are there any organizations out there that can help with a larger size donations? I wish I could donate more, but waiting for the disability checks to arrive takes time. Come on people, give a little something. Come on big organizations, take this cause into your hearts.

I'm not sure why this dog will be costing the family 18,000 to 20,000 to “buy”. I wonder if the family has looked into Canine Partners for Life in Cochranville, PA. Yes, it does cost a lot to train a dog to do this, but I believe that Canine Partners for Life, which is a non-profit, works with families to make it more affordable than this. I think about 2/3rds less. Canine Partners for Life does place dogs with children. And I know, besides placing service dogs, they have placed dogs for indication of low blood sugar and also epilepsy. They do have a waiting list – but having to raise 18.000 to 20,000 is in effect a waiting list also.

If anyone wants to know why these dogs cost so much you should go on line to Guardianangel servicedogs.com or warrenretrievers.com The dogs are highly specialized and specific to Diabetes I and II. Deven is also suffers from Hypoglycemic Unawareness. This dog will be trained not only to alert Deven or someone else when Deven has a high or low blood sugar that can cause seizures, coma or even death. The dog is able to tell up to 45 minutes before it actually will happen. The dog is trained to not only get help but also to dial 911 on a special phone. All of this requires special training of this very special breed of dog as well as the child and family. I know if my child suffered from this horrible disease and had to bleed every 2 hours every day to test I would want this dog in my child’s life. Having to wake a child every 2 hours every night of his life to test has to be miserable on both the child and his parents. I would want only the best not second best if it were my child.

Barbara and Martha,

The reason why the dog cost so much is Dan Warren from Warren Retrievers and Guardian Angel Service Dogs Inc. Here is a article on one of my friends who is also trying to obtain a D.A.D.dog..Dan Warren, the owner of Guardian Angel Service Dogs, said he started breeding, training and placing diabetic-alert dogs in homes in 2007, five years after he was diagnosed with diabetes.

“We were breeding detection dogs for explosives and such, but after my diagnosis, I was interested in dogs that help people with invisible disabilities, such as seizure-alert dogs and diabetic-alert dogs.”

Warren said Labradors have more receptors in their nose than humans do. When a person’s blood sugar rises, the person puts off a sweet or fruity smell. When a person’s blood sugar drops, the person puts off an acidic smell, similar to fingernail polish remover.

“Humans can smell it but it’s too late at that point,” Warren said. “The dogs are trained to smell it about 45 minutes before the drop or high registers on a meter. For a mother like Kelly, who is worried about their child falling too low in the middle of the night, the dogs are able to alert the parents sooner.”

Once Badgley is on the waiting list, the family will have to wait about six to eight months before receiving their dog. The dog will be trained for about four months from the organization before it is placed in the home. The training will continue every 90 days for eight phases.

Warren said a fully-trained dog will be able to push a button that calls 911, retrieve a juice box from the refrigerator and even act as a search and rescue dog in the event of an emergency.

It’s been almost a year since Emma was diagnosed with diabetes, but on Wednesday the family discovered that her condition had worsened. Emma was diagnosed with hypoglycemic unawareness, which is when a person with diabetes does not experience the usual early warning symptoms that their blood sugar is dropping.

A diabetic alert dog would be able to sense that for her, Warren said

I also chose Dan Warren because I have done extensive research on this subject. Four months worth. And Guardian Angel Service Dogs Inc. were the only ones that I felt had every quality that I was looking for. Family was at the top of my list. And when Dan cried with me on the phone of our first phone call (when I told him of Deven's story) that was the first sign that this is the FAMILY I wanted to be a part of...I looked no further!!! It was LOVE with first TALK!! And he is our number one supporter in what we are all striving to do, make a much safer and more of a back to normal life for our entire family, including Deven. It will also take away those unnecessary finger pricks. Right now Deven gets pricked about 8-10 times a day,(when he eats, snacks, bed, or sleeping when he shouldn’t be) not including when he feels low or high (remember that is at the crucial point) and then when he corrects sometimes has to check 15 minutes later. And less sleepless night for us as well.

After Deven was dx. 4 mos later I was rushed to the hospital, it was my second episode of passing out. I had headaches, uncontrollable crying, I lost 10 pounds in the first 2 weeks of him being dx. they did all sorts of tests. Then they found out the underlying cause, STRESS AND EXHAUSTION…To this day I still get about 3 hours of sleep a night. My husband and I take shifts, unfortunately I have been so exhausted, I have been sleeping through my alarm, so that means my husband has been taking double duty…So as of last night, I have been giving him the rest, and setting my alarm for those checks…The D.A.D. will help us tremendously with getting much needed sleep as well…You can always view my videos on you tube at Diabetesmom2009…or contact me through email at Diabetesmom2009@gail.com or my face book page, Sherry Kriss-Dillane. Thank you all again for your support, understanding and love. Sherry <3 

Here is a video of a D.A.D. dog..by Warren Retrievers..

http://youtu.be/sPPzYF1OhTs

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sPPzYF1OhTs"; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Interview with Dan Warren..

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5VHtb2OEjk0"; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://youtu.be/5VHtb2OEjk0

How can I send a donation to the family for the dog?

Kimberly,
Thank you for your response. You can send it to our address and I will deposit it in the bank on Tuesday. Make the check payable to Guardian Angel Service Dogs Inc. Thank you from the bottom of heart for making a donation on behalf of Deven and all of us for this much needed D.A.D. It's people like you that restores our faith in humanity, and knowing that there are people out there that we don't know that do care for others. Thank you will never be enough for everything that people have done. Again, we thank you for your kindness and caring! Sherry Dillane family...5 Timberline Road, Bayville NJ 08721

wow amazing video, and the pup is so cute too.........

Thank you Barbara, however I dont' know what one you are refering to...Mine, or the one above that I posted? You can always check out my videos of Deven and others on my YOU TUBE account. Diabetesmom2009....

the one above that you posted. will check out yours shortly.

If anyone wants to watch a video I made for a little girl that already has her D.A.D. just click on the link below..It's called "Hope for Kaylea"

http://youtu.be/L_c1z5K08s0

Deven's first video
http://youtu.be/p4iOXFY5A2I

Deven's second video
http://youtu.be/8UND_fE4jMM

Deven's walk video Oct. 2, 2012 Seaside NJ
http://youtu.be/AWi4WXYMUpc

seen your 2 videos, not good with youtube, i commented, but my granddaughters screen name came up, karinabene. so sad, stay strong, i know it is hard. i could never imagine and my girl will be 10. i am now more educated on this disease. thank you. just curious, what were his initial symptoms?

Go to wobm web site...click on News, and then click on Ocean county news..scroll down to Fundraiser for Bayville Boy, click on that the whole interview with Dan Warren from Guardian Angel Service Dogs will be on there