Gamma Zeta Donates for Diabetes

Brenna Powell, a sophomore at Sheridan College in Wyoming recieved a donation from the ESA Gamma Zeta chapter towards a Diabetic Alert Service Dog. Brenna was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 17 years old and with the help of her grandmother Oleta Denison and the ESA community, Brenna is one step closer. This life saving animal will be trained to alert Brenna of her high and low blood sugar levels, retreive her glucose machine and be with her 24/7 allowing her peace of mind.

When her younger brohter was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 2, Brenna's mother had become accustomed to the signs. At 17, Brenna began showing signs of blood sugar deprivation such as shaking which led her mother to test her levels and discover the cause. As a collegiate woman, Brenna can no longer rely on her mother to help her regulate blood sugar levels, so the Diabetic Service Alert Dog is going to bring Brenna the peace of mind she deserves.

Training has begun for the dog, where it will be exposed to samples of Brenna's saliva to learn the various scents associated with different blood sugar levels. Once the dog has gone through the required 6-8 months of training, and deemed ready, it will be taken from the facility in Las Vegas to Wyoming, accompanied by a trainer who will stay with Brenna and ensure both her and her dog are ready to be together.

"My heart is with her and I know this will mean the world to her" said Oleta Denison about her granddaughter.

In order to raise the money necessary to train and recieve the dog, Brenna started a fund that was responded to by an outpouring by the Gamma Zeta chapter and local community to help. With the incredible donation of $1,500 from Gamma Zeta and community donations, Brenna has reached her goal, raising the money necessary to re-gain her indipendance.

Now Brenna is raising awareness about diabetic service dogs and helping those interested learn about the process.

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Posted: 4/1/2016 3:40:46 PM by Kristin Hall | with 0 comments


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