Giving Credit where Credit is due! Part 1

I just have to take a moment to brag about a couple of the wonderful folks who have helped us get to where we are right now.  These business or individuals helped with donations for Auctions/Raffles or just getting our journey started all together!  (These are in no particular order, by the way)

First up is Off The Leash Grooming on Manchester Road in Ballwin.  Brad's Aunt Steph takes her puppies there to get groomed.  Judy - her wonderful groomer has been so supportive.  She has sold bracelets for us and has pretty much just talked to everyone she know about making donations or buying a bracelet.  She has raised over $180 for us!  Please go and check out Off The Leash.  I can tell you Tug and Gus look amazing after they have visited there!

Off The Leash Grooming

14746 Manchester Rd Ballwin, MO 63011 

636-230-6326



Up next we have our most favorite pizza place in the WHOLE WORLD!  We are regulars (large pepperoni pizza).  Faraci's Pizza is a family owned, pizza made from scratch kinda place! The owner Vince knows his customers and makes them feel so welcome.  He and his brother Pete own Faraci's.  Seriously, if you are in the area, you have to check out their pizza.  It is outta this world.  I honestly cannot find a pizza that is better than Faraci's.  I love the staff too!  They were all so eager to help when we told them about the Cocktails for Kai event.  Go check out their story on their website.  I am pretty sure Vince would die if I told him I have been eating their pizza since I was 8 years old - pretty much since they moved to Ballwin/Ellisville.  I'm serious.  You bite in to a piece of their pizza and it is like you hear a choir of angels singing.  That.  Freaking.  Good...

www.faracispizza.com

15430 Manchester Road Ellisville, MO 63011

636-230-0000



We received a wonder donation from Pure Harmony Day Spa for our raffles/silent auctions for Cocktails for Kai.  I have been there a couple of times and let me tell you, RELAXATION TO THE MAX!!  The staff is friendly and so helpful.  They make you feel pampered and can give one heck of a pedi!  I always feel like it is such a treat to get to go there.  Make an appointment for a pedi and a mani!  You will feel so special afterwards!

http://pureharmonyspa.com/

Pure Harmony Day Spa

13030 Manchester Road

Des Peres, MO 63131

(314) 822-9907

These are just a few of the business or individuals who made donations for our fundraiser.  Stay tuned tomorrow for more!  If you would please go and patronize these businesses.  They are so wonderful and have opened up their hearts to help us out! 

Tiffany

Cocktails for Kai

This weekend was such a big weekend for us!  Kai went to his first St. Louis Cardinals Game!  The people at the stadium were wonderful.  They were so excited to have a Diabetic Alert Dog there!  There were many people who asked ton's of questions and we even had perfect strangers ask if they could take his picture.  I think folks are just so amazed to see such a young puppy already doing his job.

Yesterday we had our first "big" fundraiser.  Cocktails for Kai was a HUGE success thanks to all who attended.  We invited out everyone we knew for a night of fun so that people could get to know Kai and see how much he is going to help, and has helped our family.  More than the funds we rasied for Kai, I love how we were able to raise awareness of how much Type 1 Diabetes has affected our life.  We got to tell everyone how Kai is changing Brad's life.  It brings a bit of a tear to your eye.

I am sure you are interested in the grand total raised for our wonder pup.  DRUMROLL PLEASE....$5248!!!!!  I am so SO very grateful for the generosity that everyone has shown us.  We are forever grateful and appreciate your help so very much.  Here are some picture from the evening.

 



I am using a slightly bigger font to drive home the point.  Thank you.  Thank you all who attended Cocktails for Kai.  Thank you from Bradley, myself, Sabrina and our whole family.  THANK YOU THANK YOU a MILLION TIMES THANK YOU!

Our next fundraiser is on October 5th at Chick-fil-A. It is a super easy fundraiser.  All you have to do is come out and eat lunch or dinner between 12pm and 8pm.  YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM YOU ARE THERE FOR GUARDIAN ANGEL SERVICE DOGS.  They will dontate a porition of the proceeds to Guardian Angel Service Dogs for Kai.  How easy is that?  Come out an have a tasty meal!

Thank you to all our family and friends for a wonderful weekend!  You mean the world to us!

Tiffany

Our Buddy Kai

How this week has been is beyond words.  It has been tiring.  It has been enlightening.  It has been so many things.  Our trainers Katie and Cheri are awesome.  We learned so much from them.  Kai is so sweet, calm and eager to learn.  He has also been an alerting machine.  In less than a week he has alerted to Brad and then came and alerted to me.  He was saying, Momma, Daddy is High or Low, we need to fix him!  When Brad's sugars are out of range and we show him the meter, Kai goes NUTS!  He's like YES, that's what I have been trying to tell you!!

We have been doing Public Access Training a good chunk of the week.  This way Brad can get a feel for having him with him while in the store.  He is doing so well.  Kai really loves his daddy!

Just the other night Brad woke up at 2am.  His blood sugar was in the 400 range.  So he decided to take a walk.  When he got back at almost 4am, as soon as he walked through the door, Kai went nuts!  He just started moving all over the bed and acted like he could not find a comfy spot.  Then, he started to lick my face.  I told Brad that we needed to check.  He was 98 with insulin still on board.  GOOD LOW KAI!! 

Sure all of this is hard work.  He does not catch every single low or high, but he is doing REALLY well.  This is a process as I told the trainers.  I totally understand that.  He is not completely trained for two years BUT he is already doing his job!  Can you believe that!

During the week while the trainers were here, we met with the Des Peres Fire Dept.  Cheri and Katie explained to them what Kai would do and that in the next couple of years we were going to be doing training for Kai dialing 911 with a special device.  If Brad drops too low and won't wake up, Kai will call for help.  My jaw dropped on that one.  He was so chill the whole time.  Sabrina thought it was neat to see the ambulance up close but mostly played while Daddy, Katie and Cheri talked to the fire fighters/EMTS's.

Here are just some really cute pics that I took of Kai!

What a day this has been!

Today was an amazing day!  Delivery was great.  Kai is everything we hoped he would be.  Sure, I am exhausted.  Sure, it feels like bringing home a newborn.  But he caught two lows today.  Betcha didn't think I was going to say that.  Both times Kai got the hiccups and we checked and sure enough, Brad was under 80. 

Is this going to be a piece of cake, heck no.  Are we afraid of the challenge, HECK NO!!  This is a process.  There are going to be good days, bad days and everything in between.  We are going to take the good with the bad and realize that Kai is not going to be fully trained for two years.  This is a process.  A process we fully welcome with open arms.

Here are some pics during the day today:

He is already amazing!  Tomorrow is going to be just as awesome.  I cannot wait.  We are meeting with the Des Peres FD and going to do Public Access Training.  I think the bed is calling us!!

Big Week!

Here we are.  Two days from the arrival of Kai.  We are so excited.  It is amazing how much we have to prepare.  We need to have baby gates to make sure Kai does not get where we don't want him to go.  Then there is food, toys, a cage for him to sleep in, bed, and all the other stuff doggies need to have a good life.  We are also going to have to get a Kai "bag" for when we go out into public and he had an accident.  He will only be 16 weeks old after all.

All of these things we were so excited to buy.  He is going to be such an amazing addition.  We cannot wait to meet our trainer Ms. Cheri Campbell.  She is the lead trainer at Warren Retrievers.  You can tell she just loves those dogs so much.  That is the best quality you can ask for in a trainer.  

We hope you can all attend our fundraiser Cocktails for Kai on September 8th.  Please just let us know you are coming so we can make sure there is plenty of drinks and food!!

I will post several times this week with I am sure a TON of photos of this new little guy.  So please stay tuned.  The amazing things that he will do will all be reported here.  Also, if you are thinking about getting a Diabetic Alert Dog, send me an email at fightingtype1@yahoo.com.  I will be happy to answer any questions.

If you wish to make a donation to Bradley and Kai, send me an email and I will be happy to help you through it.  You can also find information in the FAQ's section of this blog.

See you all this week!!!

Tiffany

11 Days...

Isn't it when you really want something time just seems to stop ?  In 11 days, just 11 days our lives are going to change.  11 days from now Brad will gain freedom.  11 days from now I will learn what it is like to not worry so much.  11 days from now Sabrina will have a furry black lab little brother.

It is like when you are kid and you are counting down to Christmas.  I remember I had a Santa Clause face from 7up or Coca Cola (can't remember which one) and you had to glue a cotton ball to the face of Santa for each day in December.  I remember looking at it and thinking, UGH, it is never going to get here!  There is all this excitement and joy because, holy cow, Santa is coming.  This is how it feels waiting for this little miracle.  11 Days feels SO FAR AWAY!  I know it will be here soon enough and the hard work of training him will kick in, but we are ready for it.

Do you know what it is like to worry about your grown husband driving?  Or worrying that his blood sugar is dropping while he is watching your two year old?  This is what diabetes does.  It took away Brad's ability to do some of the things he loves.  You can really take driving for granted until you can't do it because your family is so afraid of what might happen.

This is why 11 days is so amazing to us and it seems like a lifetime to get here.  I have a flood of emotions right now.  None of which are fear. 

In 11 Days, our lives are going to change for ever.

Thank you to Dan Warren, Cheri Campbell, the other trainers that I have not met yet and all the Warren Retriever families.  For everything.  For the hope, for Kai, for all you do, and mostly Brad's life.

Love from the bottom of my heart,

Tiffany Bates

Cocktails for Kai

We happily invite you to an evening of friendship and support in honor of Kai, Brad's new diabetic alert dog.

Kai will be delivered to our family on August 28, 2012, and we are so blessed to have the opportunity to begin experiencing the changes he will make in Brad's life.

Sharing our news with you is but a part of the support we are asking you to help us with.  Significant funds are necessary to insure that Kai does remain a family member.  He will definitely be loved and appreciated for the constant assistance he will give to Brad's very brittle Type 1 diabetes.  One means of support will be participation in a silent auction as well as voluntary donations which are all tax deductible.

We hope we can count on you and that you will share with us appetizers and drinks on the evening of Saturday, September 8 at 6:30 at Greenbriar Hills Country Club, 11225 Big Bend Blvd., Kirkwood, Mo. 314-822-3011.

Let us thank you in advance for helping our family, and, of course, mostly Brad, to achieve what will become a new and wonderful way of life.

Please RSVP to 314-402-5248 by August 31 and we look forward to an evening of warmth and inspiration because, until there is a cure, there is a dog!

The Bradley Bates Family

Delivery date and a tough weekend

We received the BEST news this weekend!  Cheri Campbell emailed us our delivery date!  September 5th was to be the date that we finally got to meet our little guy.  But last night as we were driving home, Brad got a phone call from Cheri.  They needed to change our delivery date, to August 29th!  We are so excited!  Sure no problem, we can handle getting Kai a week earlier!  I am sure this date might change again, but that's OK.  Good things come to those who wait, right??

The funny thing is I got a message through Facebook from Cheri.  The email address she had for us was not the right one.  She said she was trying to get a hold of us to schedule our delivery and she needed to know if any dates were bad in the Aug/Sept time frame.  I told Brad very excitedly about the message.  I looked at him and said "There isn't anything in that time frame that we can't change is there?!"  He started cracking up.  Of course not.  What could be more important than Kai coming?  Absolutely nothing! 

This was one of many awesome things that happened this weekend.  Brad's family was in from out of town and we were all enjoying the company of each other.

This leads me to the tough part of the weekend.  Brad's blood sugars were SUPER high.  We are talking consistently 300 - 400 range.  He has never run highs like that consecutively for multiple days.  It was very troubling to him.  It made him really angry and he feels helpless because he would give a correction for the high and it would not budge.

I can tell you it is tough being the wife of a Type 1.  Everyone hears about the highs and lows and what they do to a diabetic.  But there are also the emotional pieces of diabetes that you don't hear about.  The "why do I have this disease", "why am I running high when I haven't eaten anything", "are they ever going to find a cure", "am I going to die because of this disease?" 

So no only do you have to deal with treating the lows or highs, you have to help pull them out of this thinking.  It can be very tough and depressing.  Brad had so much anger this weekend and we talked about it.  He was upset because of the highs.  I cannot blame him.  As we talked through it all, I told him that he is not going to die because of one weekend where his blood sugars were high.  He just looked at me and said "You don't understand how I am feeling.  You don't know what it is like for me on my side.  I am the one who has this."  I can understand how he feels.  I can even sympathise, but he is right, I don't have diabetes and I don't know how he is feeling. 

Kai will not only be helping with tighter glycemic control, he is going to be helping combat those feelings of hopelessness, that there is never going to be a cure.  This is how amazing these dogs are.  This is why I am willing to raise $20,000 for Kai.  This is why Kai is so important to us and we haven't even met him yet.  He is going to help us fight back against this silent disability. 

I have started calling Kai our super hero with paws.  He is going to be a super hero for Brad.  Always looking out for him, loving him and supporting him through it all.  I want this for Brad so much and I am just so happy it is happening.

Tiffany

Meet Kai!

Cheri Campbell posted pics of our new little man last night!  We cannot wait to welcome him in August/September.  He is 8 weeks in these pictures.

Isn't he adorable!!  Cannot wait to squeeze this little guy!  He will be a little bigger once we get him, but he will still be just a baby dog.

Here are pics of Kai's Parents - These pictures are the property of Warren Retrievers.  Photographer is Dwight Dike.  All rights reserved.

Jackie - Kai's mom

Tonic - Kai's Dad

We cannot wait to welcome him home.  I am sure Sabrina will love him too.

Stay tuned for more updates.  We are hoping to get a couple of fundraisers scheduled as well!

Tiffany

Wishin, and Hoping and Prayin - IT'S A BOY!

What a day this has been.  It actually all started last night.  I got home from chorus and Brad and I were talking.  We went into the den to look up something on the computer.  Brad comes in holding his cell phone.  He looks at me and says "Dan Warren called and left a message saying that he had good news and to call him back tomorrow."  I laughed and said "are you joking?".  He was dead serious.  I listened to the message myself.  I heard Dan's happy voice on the message and knew Brad wasn't teasing.  If you have ever talked to Dan Warren you know that he is an amazing guy who's voice always has so much hope.  It makes me smile when I think about how I have never met him, but feel like he is family.

I looked at Brad and said, "holy crap!"  I knew then that it HAD to be about Kai.  I was thinking what else would he call about at 10:30 at night.  We D.A.D. families take phone calls from Dan seriously!  It was one of two things.  We got a huge donation that he decided he just had to call us about (not likely) OR we were going to be getting Kai.  Brad and I went upstairs and talked about Kai for another good hour and a half.  Both of us grinning from ear to ear.  We thought about what Kai might look like, if he or she was going to be black, yellow or chocolate.  Then we thought about if it was going to be a boy or a girl.  We both had no clue.

So of course I dreamt about Kai all night.  In my dream Kai came to us only it was a Pomeranian dog and Dan was telling us this is what we had been assigned.  I had to say that we wanted a Lab, not a Pomeranian.  Don't ask.  I'm not sure where this dream came from.  LOL

I woke up about 10 minutes late because we had been up talking about what we needed to do and all that good stuff.  I woke Brad up before I left and told him to call me as soon as Dan called him back. 

Lunch ticks around.  I'm am sitting on pins and needles.  So is Brad.  We cannot wait to find out WHY Dan had called.  Lunch comes and goes.  All of the sudden my pocket starts ringing.  It is Brad.  I can HEAR the smile in his voice.  It was an audible smile.  He tells me that Dan called and it is a BOY!!!!  We have a male black lab!  He also gave a few other details.  I found pics of his parents on Facebook on the Warren Retrievers page.  Beautiful dogs.  My goodness they are pretty dogs.  You have to check them out.  I added them on my Facebook Timeline.  I will also add them here, but I want to ask Dan first if that is OK.

Here are the Stats:

Name: Kai (for the Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon, see the FAQ's)
Born: 04/29/2012 (4 days after Sabrina's 2nd birthday)
Father: Tonic
Mother: Jackie
Color: Black
Arrival: Late Aug/Early September (I will share the delivery date once I find out)

So this is going to be a big doggy.  They always are.  Lab males usually range in between 60- 75 lbs.  But some males can grow to be about 100lbs.  My old lab Goldie was 70 lbs.  BIG DOGGY.

We are so happy to be welcoming this new family member.  Seriously.  This is like having a kid.  Kai is going to be loved just like Sabrina.  He won't just work for Brad.  He will be apart of this family and already is.

Lets CELEBRATE!

Love,

Tiff

So happy for D.A.D. Families

Yesterday Dan Warren made the call to families who will be receiving their D.A.D.  I am so excited for them.  The families posted how excited they were to get the call and how they are going to begin puppy proofing and getting ready for their new family members arrival. 

We are now one step closer to our August/September projected arrival of Kai.  I cannot believe this lifesaver pup is almost here.  To say in the next three to four months we will have a new family member, is amazing.  It is like expecting a child and not knowing the arrival.  This pup will be a huge part of our family.  It won't be just a working dog, it will be a family member who's place in our hearts can never be erased!  Stay tuned in the next few months.  You can totally expect to get lots of pictures and news about this wonderful arrival!

Hugs to all the Warren Retriever Families who got their call yesterday!

Tiffany

Spelling fixed..lol

You would think after all this time I would know how to spell diabetes....Sometimes my typing gets carried away.  I am hoping that all changes going forward will be right.

Carry on!

Find us on Facebook!

Hi Everyone!

You can now find Fighting Type 1 on Facebook!  I started a page last night.  The blog and the Facebook page will work in tandem to get information out about fundraisers, news and other good stuff about Brad's D.A.D.  I am also hoping to post more information from other D.A.D. families so that you can see what these wonderful animals do for families.  So "LIKE" us on Facebook!



 https://www.facebook.com/FightingType1

So far it looks like it will be August/September 2012 when we get Brad's Alert Dog.  Our family is so excited!

Please let me know if there are any questions about how to make a donation, how to buy our bracelets or questions about D.A.D's in general!  You can always reach me at our email fightingtype1@yahoo.com.

Hope you are all well!

Tiffany

D.A.D's - not just for kids!

I really wanted to share this status update from a fellow D.A.D. owner.  This is so neat.  A lot of the families are families with kids that are affected by Type 1.  There are MANY owners of D.A.D's that are adults too. So cool!  I love that he alerted at work.  This is just what we want for Bradley!!

"so my 7 month old Chocolate sensation Diabetic Alert Dog Ranger, just gave a great Low alert while at my desk at work. He pawed me, I asked to check then he barked one time only until I opened my kit. He was correct! I was LOW! Thank you to Warren Retrievers for this Diabetic helper"

I love that he alerted at work.  This is just what we want for Bradley!!

Is it time yet???

We are getting so excited about our new addition.  We cannot wait for Brad's DAD to come.  I keep reading stories and blogs posted by Guardian Angel Service Dog family members and it is so amazing.  I have to share this blog post by another GASD family.  Seriously, this pup stopped eating to catch a high blood sugar.  What dog does that???

http://dad4twoboys.org/a-split-second-signal-a-lifetime-of-relief/
Here he would not back down and was stubborn for a reason!  He is too awesome!!
http://dad4twoboys.org/stubborn-for-a-reason/

If you have a moment, head on over to the blog and check it out.  There is so many neat stories and a blog post about how you can get a D.A.D.  If you are or know someone who is effected by Diabetes, check out their blog!  I hope to have more posts like theirs as we get deeper into this process. 

Also, we are still selling Bracelets to raise funds.  If you want one, please contact me via email at fightingtype1@yahoo.com. 

Hugs to all,

Tiffany

Update 05/01/12

So far we have sold $270 worth of bracelets!  Isn't that great!  I am so thankful for everyone who has bought a bracelet.  I am hoping that I get a chance this weekend to design a t-shirt to sell.  There are so many FUN ways to raise funds for this pup. 

I am so thrilled to be working with Guardian Angel Service Dogs.  I was actually found recently by a few of the families and it is so neat to hear their stories and see how they are doing raising funds.  It is just amazing the community out pour of support.  I need to start getting out there to local media to bring attention to this wonderful organization and all that they do for families who are affected by Diabetes.  Seriously, go check them out on Facebook, or online at http://www.guardianangelservicedogs.org/.  If you regularly contribute to charities, I hope you will consider giving to them.  They do amazing work and bring so much hope to families affected by this silent disability.

I thought I would also give you an update on Brad.  He is doing really well.  There have been some pretty high highs recently, but also so pretty low lows.  It is so crazy how his sugars will fluctuate.  I know that families have a hard time keeping there T1 little guys regulated.  It's just has hard when you are an adult.  Brad keeps asking me if I have heard anything about his pup.  I hate having to tell him no.  It will happen soon is what I tell him.  I cannot remember if I told you all this, but he decided on a new name for the pup.  It is now going to be called "Kai" which means ocean in Hawaiian.  I thought that was pretty cool.  I cannot wait for the day where he finds out his Diabetic Alert Dog (D.A.D) is ready to take care of him and his family!

If anyone would like to simply make a donation you can do that too.  You can mail checks made payable to Guardian Angel Service Dogs or make a donation through their website by clicking the PayPal button at the bottom of the screen.  Once you make a donation, you will receive a confirmation email from GASD within 24 to 48 hours during regular business hours.  Let me know if you need anymore information about making donations!

Talk to you all soon!

Tiffany

Bracelets!! We've got Bracelets here!!

We got the bracelets in!  Cannot wait to start selling these guys.  They are $5.00 and ALL proceeds go to benefit getting Brad is Diabetic Alert Dog through Guardian Angel Service Dogs. 

The bracelets are gray with the slogan "Until There Is A Cure There Is A Dog".  The color gray is for Diabetes Awareness.  This is why we chose that color.  So excited about these bracelets!

Please email me at taravens@gmail.com if you would like one of these awesome bracelets. 

Thanks!

Tiff

Bracelets!

Last week I ordered bracelets with the slogan "Until There Is A Cure, There Is A Dog" in grey which happens to be the color for Diabetes Awareness.  I am super excited for them to come in.  As soon as they do I will post information about ordering them in addition to a picture of the bracelets! 

Check back soon!

Tiffany

Appreciative does not cover how I feel right now.

There are so many things I want to say about how amazing today was.  But first, I am going to again apologize for not posting in so long.  I cannot remember when I had time to think about anything other than work and family.  We are still in the hunt to find homes for our beloved family pets and hope that we can find them homes soon.  Fundraising is about to begin with some simple small fundraisers.

With help from the Guardian Angel Service Dogs Facebook family we found a neat fundraiser that is just SUPER cool.  We are going to get bracelets with the slogan "Until Theres A Cure, Theres A Dog" and sell them at events.  We have a few ideas for t-shirts to sell and possibly organizing a walk to benefit funding the dog.  There are more fundraising ideas we have cooking as well.  We just need to get them under way!

So let me get back to today.  I am a member of the River Blenders Chorus.  We are a chapter of Sweet Adelines International (check us out at www.riverblenders.org).  Our rehearsal nights are on Monday evenings.  Due to being out of town this weekend and getting back VERY late on Sunday night, I had some work to do yesterday so I was not able to go to our regular rehearsal.  So today I get an email from Cindy - a very close friend in the chorus.  It said, "Missed you last night.  I need to talk to you, call me tonight."  When people tell me they need to talk to me a worry about them a little.  So I went in back at work and called her up.  I asked if she was OK and she said she was just fine.  She proceeded to ask me how to make donations for Brad.  I told her that there were a few options to donate to getting Brad's dog.  So, she tells me that while her sister was in town she had dinner with another lady, Susan, in our chorus and she asked how I was doing.  Cindy proceeded to tell her that we had a lot going on with trying to find homes for our pets, moving in with Brads parents to get back on our feet and then trying to get Brad his alert dog.  She told her that it was going to require some fundraising as they are very expensive dogs.  So apparently Susan had come to chorus last night and was a little down that I wasn't at chorus because she had a donation for Brad's alert dog.  I lost it on the phone at this point.  Cindy then lost it again.  I was just so appreciative that someone would do this for my Bradley.  So Cindy told me to come pick up the check before I called Susan to thank her.  So tonight Brad, Sabrina and I ran over to Cindy's house.  We chatted for a bit and then Cindy gave me the check.  My jaw DROPPED.  It was an above and beyond donation for Brad's dog.  It was a donation that made me get a little teary eyed and wonder what Brad and I did to deserve such a gift.  I just cannot find the right words to express my appreciation for such a gift.  Thank you is only a start. 

Let me tell you a little bit about Susan.  I have always thought Susan was this amazing person.  When I joined chorus I could not help but fall in love with her amazing powerful voice.  She is a Sweet Adelines Queen of Harmony and a role model for all of us.  She has a sense of humor that could get anyone and has a heart the size of the planet.  When she sings it is simply breath taking.  She loves her chorus so much.  We love her so much too.  She is our assistant director and really pushes us to bring it all to the table.  She is also battling cancer with a smile and sass like no other and confidence that make all of us want to aspire to be just like her.  More than all of that she is a angel on this planet. 

This makes me love my chorus even more.  I am trying to think of how I can pay this kindness to my family forward.  My chorus is like family.  For 9 years they have been there for me.  They were there for my wedding to Brad and sang beautiful music that made my day so special.  I have a few ideas for a special little gift to give to Susan, but I am also going to take this kindness that was done to my family and put it out there in the universe. 

I must have done something special to receive a gift like this.  I am not sure what it is, but I am going to make sure that I keep doing it.  I believe in karma and that means I had to have put some kind of amazing kindness out into the universe to receive such a kindness back.  So I have to keep that going!  So many people in this world need kindness.

Knowing that we are on our way to getting my sweet husband the alert dog he so desperately needs is amazing.  Words cannot express my gratitude for Ms Susan and for everyone how has asked how they can help and what they can do to help with fundraising events.  I am so blessed with the best family and friends. 

I hope everyone is ready to get going, because I know I am!!

Thank you Ms Susan.  You are something extra special and my family appreciates everything from the bottom of our hearts.

Tiffany

Update

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  It has been a very busy month so far.  We went on vacation with Brad's family to Florida.  Brad's sugars were either ok, or low.  That's what happens when you are on the move all the time. 

He is getting so excited about getting his dog.  He knows that I have "liked" the Guardian Angel Service Dog site on Facebook and they post pictures of the pups when they have been matched with their families.  He keeps asking me if more pups have been born.  I told him to expect probably August - October to receive word about his pup.  He is so excited.  Brad has decided to change the dogs name from Phoenix to Kai.  There is a trail that Brad hiked called the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon.  Brad is hoping that with this dog he can go hiking more.  So it is a very fitting name.  I also found out that Kai means Ocean in Hawaiian.

So I have been brain storming about how to raise funds for Brad's dog.  I thought a t-shirt might be neat.  Also anyone who helps us at events can wear these so we can be uniform.  My friend Wendy came up with the idea for a Penny Tee that said SUGAR DOG on it.  Because that is what Kai will be.  So I whipped something up on CafePress and it is awesome!  Now just to find a printer to get them printed up and I can sell them.  I will keep you posted on all fundraisers through this blog and on Facebook. 

Hope everyone is well! 

Tiff

Exciting day for families on the list for their D.A.D

Today, Warren Retrievers posted on the Facebook wall pictures of the angel dogs that were assigned families.  I am so excited for these families.  I know how excited they must be as well.  I looking through the pictures of these sweet baby (and I mean baby, they have to be about 10 to 12 weeks old) puppies and I think about how much relief they are going to bring to the recipient family.  I am sure each family that received the notification that they were going to receive their dog just jumped for joy.  They should.  Diabetes is such a silent disability.  You never know when your loved one is going to have a problem with their blood sugars or what the doctor is going to say at the next visit.  The relief they much feel knowing that their guardian angel is on the way and is going to look out for them.

I cannot wait for the day when I see "Congratulations Bates Family" on the Facebook wall with pics of Brads guardian angel.  I am looking forward to that day very much.  Diabeties affects all members of my family.  I know that the pup has to have extensive training and that it won't be fully trained right away, but just knowing that this amazing creature is going to help and protect or family from that silent disability is simply breath-taking.

Congratulations to all the families again!

Tiffany

New Interview with Dan Warren

I just wanted to pass this story on.  Dan Warren did an inverview for a family getting a D.A.D.  Excellent interview on what these amazing dogs do for families with loved ones with Type 1.

So excited we are about to go through this life changing process.

http://wobm.com/fundraiser-to-help-a-bayville-boy-get-a-diabetes-alert-dog/

Fundraising Ideas

Time to hit the ground running!  I am currently working on ideas for fundraising and soliciation to companies for goods and services as a donation.  If you know of a company that is generous to causes such as this, I would love to know about it.  Also, I am open to ideas that might be in line with fundraisers that you have been to that were a blast.  We want anyone who makes a dontation to get something in return, such as a fun night out.  I would be willing to write a letter that would explain the need for the Diabetic Alert Dog in addition to the letter received from Warren Retrievers explaining that all donations given are given to a charity.

I am thinking about putting together a trivia night.  I know they are a lot of fun!  We are hoping to have some large and small fundraisers.  If anyone has a really great background in this, I need your help!

Thank you!

Tiffany

Make a Donation Now!

While perusing the information that we received from Guardian Angel Service Dogs, I found out that you can make donations online!  I hate to ask for money, but, we have to raise some serious money for this pup.  This is great as some would rather not send a check.  We are going to have some fun fundraisers, but if you would simply rather donate to this cause you can.  All donations are a charitable donation under the auspices of a 501(c) (3) non profit organization.  I have a letter from Guardian Angel Service Dogs if you would like a copy.

If you make a donation through their website, please make sure you put your email address in the email address box.  They will verify your information and who the donation is for (Bradley Bates), through your email.  This is due to the fact that they cannot customize the PayPal button for each person.  All donations received for Brad's Alert Dog will go to Brad.  I will have more details on the fundraisers coming soon!  We have to get rolling if we are going to reach our goal!

Select this link to make a donation: http://www.guardianangelservicedogs.org/

Thank you so much for opening your hearts and helping!!

Tiffany Bates

Examples of what these amazing dogs do!

You can "like" Guardian Angel Service Dogs on Facebook and there are people who post what their amazing dogs do for them.  I copied a particular post from a lady who has two sons with Type 1.  They have one dog, named Delta, which checks and alerts both kids.  I thought this was an amazing story:

‎4:33 am

I slept past my alarm clock.

I felt a heavy weight land on my chest.
...
Wet stuff was all over my face.

With semi-consciousness I said, "Do we need to check?"

Half closed eyes made out Delta touching his nose to the floor with a bowing type motion (front down/ back up) too fast to be stretching.

"Who is it?" I made my way to the living room, with a panicked pup at my side. I chose to check Eric first. 300

"Good High Delta" Why did he make a low signal?

I leave Eric's room with Delta running past me. He pushes his way through Micheal's door and lands on top of Micheal. Delta's panicked. He's licking Micheal trying to wake him up.

Panic feels my chest as I realize Micheal is Pale, and not responding to Delta.

"Micheal."

"MICHEAL!"

Finally he moves.

I tell him "Hand, Delta says your low."

A quick squeeze, poke, a drop of blood and 5 seconds pass.

44

Micheal was 44 at 4:33 am.... it would be another 2 hours before I was supposed to get him up, because I slept past my alarm clock.

I could have lost my oldest baby last night.

Instead because of Delta he was given a soda, and was able to get up and go to school at 7:30 with a blood sugar of 132.

Seriously good stuff these sweet doggies do.  Now just to get the fundraising under way!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guardian-Angel-Service-Dogs/137261369677876

Guardian Angel Dogs

Just wanted to post a link to the website so everyone could read up on these wonderful animals.  We are so thrilled to be working with them.

http://www.warrenretrievers.com/
http://www.guardianangelservicedogs.org/

Check back in the coming weeks for more information including on how you can help!

Love,

Tiffany, Brad and Sabrina

Meet Bradley

Hello everyone!  We have started a blog about the process of getting my husband, Bradley a DAD or Diabetic Alert Dog.  I thought it would be good to document this process from before getting the dog to welcoming the new pup in our home.

I'm Tiffany - Brad's wife.  Brad is the love of my life and I cannot wait to get him the freedom he so deserves.  I thought I would start out with a little introduction about Brad.  Many of you already know him, but I thought I would post this on my Facebook page so my friends and family could also follow along.

Meet Bradley!
Brad is a very sweet caring man.  He loves his family and writing.  He currently is an English Professor at St. Louis Community College - Wildwood.  In Brad's spare time he loves to hike, swim and do anything active.  Brad is a go with the flow kind of guy and is an excellent Daddy to his daughter Sabrina.  He is also a Type 1 Diabetic.

Brad was diagnosed in February of 1987 with Type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes.  It was a shock as there wasn't anyone in Brad's family with Type 1.  Life changed quickly for Brad, Phyllis and Gene.  There were struggles with blood sugars from the start.  Brad felt that if he let his blood sugars get too high, that he would die young.  High blood sugars cause a lot of the complications you hear about, numbness in the limbs, problems with the eyes and other issues. 

What they don't tell you about are the problems with the lows.  Lows are simply awful.  Your brain runs on carbohydrates.  Your brain needs carbohydrates to function properly.  So what happens when your blood sugar gets low?  Your brain is deprived of the carbohydrates it needs and you become disoriented.  You can shake violently or can have a seizure.  It is like being drunk but horribly worse.  Brad felt that he had to keep his sugars so low so he would not die.

While in college, Brad was in a horrible car accident from a blood sugar low.  He still suffers from the car accident to this day.  He had a brain injury and a collapsed lung.  His blood sugar was below 50.  A normal blood sugar range is between 80 and 120.  Brad's sugars swing pretty bad between high and low.  He can be 302 and then 34 within an hour.  It is shocking how quickly his blood sugars can change.  The doctors call this brittle diabetes.  Any little change from his normal routine can make his sugars go crazy. 


Diabeties at it's finest
The first time I met Brad he told me about his disease.  I of course had heard of diabetes, but I never realized how much I would hate it.  I have told people that I would not wish this disease on my worst enemy.  It is expensive.  Brad is currently on Insulin Pump Therapy.  This means he has an infusion pump that will maintain the insulin levels in his body.  There are two rates.  A basil rate that give you insulin all the time that helps to maintain the sugars at normal levels through out the day.  Then when you eat you have to check your blood sugar, calculate the number of carbs you are going to eat and then take insulin to cover them.  This is called a bolus.  The pump is neat in the fact it will take the number of carbs you are going to eat, the current blood sugar, the amount of insulin you have currently in your system and then calculate how much insulin you need to take to cover what you are eating and keep your blood sugar at a normal rate.  If your blood sugar is lower, you will get less insulin to cover the amount of food you are eating and vice versa.  The pump is amazing, but it also costs $6500 plus you have to have supplies like the infusion sites that attach to Brad's body.  Fortunately insurance helps cover most of the costs.  Then there is the test strips and the insulin.  If you don't have insurance, I am not sure how people can afford all of these items.  They are not cheap. 

After the expense you have the fact of maintaining the sugars themselves.  It is so hard.  Poor Brad struggles with this disease.  He feels like he is tethered to something he cannot control.  There have been many times that I have woken up in the middle of the night because of how Brad is breathing, the fact he has not really moved, or just something that tells me that his blood sugar just isn't right.  I will check it and it is below 50.  So because he is sleeping, I can sometimes wake him and get him to drink a soda or eat glucose tablets.  More often than not, I have to call the paramedics.  They come out and give him an IV of sugar and go back to the station.  There was a time when Brad's sugar got low and it was bad news.  It was December of 2008.  It was about 6pm and Brad's blood sugar was 24.  He was violent.  I left the room and called the paramedics.  It took 6 guys to hold him down.  He was kicking the police and fighting them.  It was like he had super powers.  I will never forget the look on my brothers face.  It was so scary.  To subdue him, they bent his finger back and broke a bone in his hand.  They were able to get the IV started and his blood sugars back up.  To this day, when the paramedic that broke his hand comes to the house, he apologizes to Brad.  We have very awesome paramedics in the West County area.  They are my personal heroes. 

I am sure you are asking, "well how does his blood sugar get slow low without him noticing?"  Well Brad has something called Hypoglycemic Unawareness.  This means he cannot feel when his blood sugar is dropping.  You or I would get a headache, or the shakes.  Possibly be a little crabby or just feel like lead.  Brad can be fine one second and then completely out of it the next.  It just drops without any notice.  It is like a silent attacker.  It just gets him.  This hypoglycemic unawareness has lead to the totalling of two cars and three car accidents since I have been with him.  Medtronic makes a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System that we have tried.  It again is super expensive and if you don't get the sensor in just right, the sensor is bad and you have to throw it away.  The sensors only last for a maximum of 6 days.  When you insert the sensor, your blood sugars have to be stable for 2 hours.  That never happens.   It was a nightmare system.  So that didn't work out so much.  Currently Brad's mom drives him to school and I will take him anywhere else when I am home from work.  We all fear that he is living on borrowed time because of the many times he could have been killed in a car accident. 

The Light At the End of the Tunnel!
Phyllis, Brad's mom, read an article in the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) publication about Diabetic Alert Dogs.  She called up Warren Retrievers and got the information.  It was like opening our eyes to a whole new world.  These amazing Labrador Retrievers sense lows and highs.  They are 100% accurate and can sense a low or a high 20 to 40 minutes before it happens. This means that lows can be averted before they happen.  These sweet dogs do not come cheap though.  They are $20,000.  Phyllis paid $1,000 to get his name on the list.  There are currently 15 people on the list and now Brad is one of them.  We are going to have a variety of fundraisers to raise money to get him this lifesaver with a wet nose.  He has even thought of a name already "Phoenix".  We are so happy that Brad is going to get a new lease on life.  He needs this so very badly. 

Our hopes is to get this dog so we can have a piece of mind.  We currently have animals in our home that we are going to have to find new homes for.  This is important due to the fact that the dog has to use his or her sense of smell to detect the low or high.  We are so sad to have to say goodbye to them, but we plan to find them homes that will love them like we do.  Brad asked me the question if I was going to resent him since we had to find our furry babies new homes.  This was my answer.  I told him that I would never resent him for this.  I am just as excited as he is.  Of course I am going to be sad.  Who wouldn't be.  But, I really don't want Sabrina to be the 4 year old that has to call 911 because her daddy is passed out on the floor.  I also never want to get the phone call that he has been killed in a car accident.  The hope that this dog brings to our family is beyond words.  I know that we have made the right choice and we are going to have such relief.  The fact that my husband is going to have confidence again is all I need to keep me going. 

Please bookmark this blog.  As we go through the process of raising funds, I will post entries here.  I hope that this blog will help other Type 1 diabetics to get the hope they need.  Any questions can be posted here as well.

Here's to finding hope!

Tiffany Bates