Family raising funds for potentially lifesaving dog

EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

Friday, Nov. 13, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted photo "J.D." is currently being trained at Wildrose Kennels in Mississippi to become a Diabetic Alert Dog for Anna Grace Berry, 8, of Owings. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Dogs are known as man's best friend, but for Anna Grace Berry, one dog may be her lifesaver.

Anna Grace, 8, of Owings suffers from Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, and her family and members of the community are rallying this Saturday to host a fundraiser at The Greene Turtle in Prince Frederick to raise funds to buy a Diabetic Alert Dog.

Kitty Berry, Anna Grace's mother, told The Calvert Recorder that her daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 4-years-old. Type 1 diabetes means that the pancreas no longer produces insulin. Anna Grace receives insulin artificially through an insulin pump she wears around her waist. In order to monitor her blood sugar levels, Anna Grace has to prick her finger eight to 10 times a day and have a blood sample read by a blood sugar monitor.

The idea to obtain a DAD came about through "hours and hours" of research, Kitty Berry said.

"Her diabetes is not easy to control," Kitty Berry said. "She wears an insulin pump and that's her lifeline."

A DAD can "smell a high [blood sugar level] and smell a low [blood sugar level], and alert the child and parent that something is amiss," Kitty Berry said. "They can detect it 20 minutes before a blood sugar monitor picks it up, and that's the difference between a seizure and not having a seizure."

When a diabetic's blood sugar is low, they lose cognitive abilities and coordination, sometimes leading to a seizure, Kitty Berry said, and those "are the very visible moments when you can see something is wrong." When blood sugar is too high, "that is when the silent damage is done … it does damage to the kidneys, to the heart, to the eyes. Over time, it does a lot of damage."

While doing research, Kitty and her husband, Tim, learned about Wildrose Kennels, owned and operated by famous hunting dog trainer Mike Stewart. Kitty Berry said Stewart, who has been featured in Forbes magazine for his success in raising and training hunting dogs, recognized British Labrador retrievers' incredibly keen sense of smell and pleasant temperament. The dogs are trained to detect if a diabetic's blood sugar is too high or low, and alert the diabetic, in this case Anna Grace, and a caretaker, in Anna Grace's case, her parents.

The cost of the DAD is $10,000, and Kitty Berry acknowledged that insurance companies would look at an alert dog as a "frivolous" expense.

"Diabetic dogs are fairly new to this arena," Kitty Berry said, noting that most people think of service dogs being associated with those who are blind.

So, the Berrys are looking to others to help them purchase "J.D.," a black Labrador retriever who is currently being trained for Anna Grace. Kitty Berry said they travelled to Wildrose Kennels in Mississippi to attend a workshop and learn about the service dogs.

"[And the people there] fell in love with Anna Grace and reached out to us … They want to do anything they can to help us," Kitty Berry said.

J.D., which stands for "Juvenile Diabetes," will go everywhere with Anna Grace, including to school with her. She is in the second grade at Sunderland Elementary School.

"Service animals are protected by the American Disabilities Act and are allowed by law to be in a public place … Mrs. [Karen] Vogel, Anna Grace's principal, is an incredible woman. She understands the importance of keeping her safe and keeping her healthy."

Kitty Berry said the school system has a policy regarding service dogs, and that there is currently a diabetic alert dog attending school with a student in Calvert.

It will have been a full year of training before J.D. is ready to become Anna Grace's companion, needing scent training and be able to be "seen and not heard in any environment."

"Service dogs need to be calm at all times," Kitty Berry said. "People have very high expectations of them."

The family intends to bring J.D. to Calvert in February.

The benefit Saturday, "Hope for Anna Grace" will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Greene Turtle, located in the Prince Frederick Shopping Center. The event will feature vendors, door prizes and raffles.

For more information about Wildrose Kennels, go to www.uklabs.com.

Burnett-Calvert Hospice House ribbon cutting delayed

Saturday's grand opening and ribbon cutting for the Burnett-Calvert Hospice House has been postponed until next Saturday, Nov. 21, due to storm conditions.

Residue from Hurricane Ida has prevented volunteers from completing last-minute tasks, and hospice has elected to push back the opening.

"They weren't able to finish everything that had to be done on the house," Community Outreach Coordinator Judi Fields said.

All activities are planned for the same time. Fields said the College of Southern Maryland will provide parking and shuttle busses to the house will be provided.

Board of education, Commissioners schedule meeting

The Calvert County Board of Education and the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners have scheduled a meeting for 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1.

The meeting will be held in the Duke Conference Room in the Community Resources Building, 30 Duke Street in Prince Frederick.

Following the one-hour meeting, the boards will tour the Indoor Aquatic Center and the new Calvert Middle School. Both facilities are under construction.

The boards will jointly set the agenda for the meeting.