Woodbury Boy With Diabetes Raises Money For Medically Trained Dog

WOODBURY, CT — Hobie Lewis, 9, noticed in the summer before first grade that he was thirsty all the time. He had his blood sugar tested, just to be safe, and found his levels were over 500—far beyond the normal range of below 140.

Hobie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, meaning that his body does not produce insulin.

"I have to give myself insulin to stay healthy," Hobie said on the GoFundMe page. "There were some tough times in the beginning with insulin shots and poking my fingers all the time to test my blood sugar but I got used to it."

Hobie has a monitor that reports when his blood sugar is too high or too low, but he's asking for help to buy a specially trained dog that is more prompt at alerting patients. The risks of Type 1 Diabetes are serious, including going into a hypoglycemic coma. Responding quickly is key.

"Low blood sugars are the most scary thing about being a Type 1 and by the time I feel mine I am really really low," Hobie says on the GoFundMe page. "This makes my mom and dad very scared. ..I love dogs and it’s my dream to have a dog that can also help keep me safe."

However, a dog that goes through the special training needed to detect low blood sugar levels is very expensive, costing between $15,000 and $20,000.

“We hope to have an earlier alert so he’s not feeling so terrible,” Hobie's mom, Misty Lewis, told The Waterbury Republican-American. “It’s really dangerous to be low and to be too high."

So the family started a campaign to raise money to purchase the dog from an Indianapolis organization called Medical Mutts. The cause has raised more than $6,000 of the $18,000 goal. You can donate by going to GoFundMe.

"I am hoping if everyone helps a little I can make my dream come true and have a Diabetes Alert Dog of my own," Hobie Lewis said.