SASKATOON – A family from Humboldt, Sask. will not only be sleeping more soundly in the coming month thanks to the newest addition to their family, but he could one day save their daughter’s life. In late October, Christine and Hailey Stumborg left the Saskatoon airport as two and returned home on Friday as three.
It was a tear-filled arrival for the pair who were away for three weeks in Oakville, Ont. at the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. There they met and trained with Quatchi, one of nine puppies born in the “Q” litter.
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“He’s fun, they said he’s got an energetic side,” said Hailey Stumborg,
“He likes to cuddle, he loves that.”
Nineteen-month-old Quatchi is a diabetic service dog and is trained to sniff out danger. He will nudge or jump on Hailey, a Type 1 diabetic, when something’s wrong with her blood sugar levels.
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“My daughter doesn’t feel her lows so she goes down to anywhere under four she can have a seizure,” said Christine Stumborg.
“This dog is trained to sniff out her sugar levels and that way it alerts her before she goes down so that she can get a juice box or something in her before she can have down fall.”
That’s because Quatchi can smell the scent associated with hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar.
“When you go low, something happens and the ammonia tries to escape and they smell that and they alert you,” added Hailey.
In addition to detecting Hailey’s lows, Quatchi is trained to use a medical alert system, although its not yet installed in the Stumborg home. He can also retrieve a juice box and fetch a family member in a medical emergency.
“Now I’m not worried that I’ll drop in the night or drop at school so it gives me a sense of security,” said Hailey.
Diagnosed with diabetes at just 21-months-old, 12-year-old Hailey is becoming more independent. Her mother says the service dog will help give them peace of mind instead of living in constant fear.
“We get up throughout the night, we test fingers, we check sugar levels.”
“We don’t sleep,” she said.
“This dog is going to be around her 24/7, around her all the time, going to school with her, it’s just going to be so much easier on us.”
Man’s best friend is was quickly becoming Hailey’s.
“These dogs have an elastic heart and they attached to each other so fast and she’s such a mature girl as it is but I’ve seen her mature in just three weeks, it’s amazing,” said Christine.
A companion that will help Hailey maintain her health and has renewed the family’s hope.
“Just so that I can live a much more normal life.”
A sentiment echoed by her mother.
“My hope is to have her lead an absolutely normal life, she does have diabetes but that doesn’t stop her from anything and this dog is just going to help her along that path I think and they’re just going to do it together, it’s going to be great.”
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