The bond between Koda and Emily goes far beyond love.
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, so as dog lovers we thought we’d share the incredible story of an 18-month-old Labrador retriever who alerts a 14-year girl old to dangerous changes in her blood sugar.
Emily has Type I diabetes. She was diagnosed when she was just 6. About 5 months ago she was given a very special furry companion named Koda who has been trained to smell when Emily’s blood sugar drops too low or rises too high. The magic of Koda is that he detects the fluctuations a full 30 minutes before the medical equipment does.
These 30 minutes are huge. Emily has fallen into a diabetic coma 4 times in her life so far. And her doctor said that if she were to fall into another one, she might not wake up.
Yet Koda is always keeping watch. He’s trained to keep alerting Emily when her blood sugar is too low or high until she takes action. And if she ignores him, he finds friends and family to alert. It’s called trained disobedience.
Koda has changed Emily’s life. Today she is a junior in high school and can try sports and dancing for the first time. Koda is her loyal sidekick and best friend who looks out for her at home and at school.
There are so many reasons to love dogs. They are there when you’re sad or want to wrestle, need to get out for a walk or cuddle on a cold day. Or just hang out. We don’t know Koda, but we love him and are inspired by how he’s helping Emily live a happier, safer and more fulfilled life.
Do you have a story of a dog who helps someone? We’d love to hear it! Share in the comments section below.
Read the full story about Koda and Emily in The Seattle Times.
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We are dog lovers ourselves… that’s Riley on our new Wet Dog candle in 3 wonderful scents (that don’t smell like a wet dog!): Blue Fir & Spice, Lemon & Lavender, Spearmint & Eucalyptus.
Riley is our Labrador-Whippet mix adopted in 2014 from a Louisiana shelter. She’s been coming to the studio every day since and owns the Moroccan couch – not to mention our hearts.
We like to light a Wet Dog candle to “tame that wet fur smell” when she’s been roaming about or rolling around in who knows what. It’s fun and makes a great gift for the dog lovers in your life.
Check out the Wet Dog candle in our store.
