Special companion: Ruby the dog, pictured with three-year-old Faith, is a trained diabetes-alert dog that has saved Faith's life on several occasionsFor three-year-old Faith Wilson who suffers from a severe and rare form of infant diabetes, she wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for her dog Ruby.
Ruby, a golden Labrador in East Texas who's trained to detect by smell low blood sugar levels, has on countless times according to Faith's mother saved her life.
'Night times were the worst. I used to have panic attacks every night and wake up and run to her bed, holding my breath, just hoping she was alive,' Faith's mother Sarah Wilson told KLTV.
If Faith's blood sugar levels weren't caught in time, she would go into a seizure or coma, proving possibly deadly.
'It's a very difficult disease to manage and I always tell people, basically it's organ failure and you have to live your life on life support,' Mrs Wilson said.
Detection: Ruby is able to detect when Faith's blood sugar levels have dipped lower than they should, alerting her mother before she potentially suffers a seizure or goes into a coma
Fear: Before Ruby entered Faith's life, her mother would live in fear that one morning her daughter may not wake upAt a cost of $10,000, diabetic alert dog's don't come easy, however.
Faith's mom says they have church and community donations to thank for Ruby's affordability.
Guardian: Today Faith's mother says she can rest easy knowing Ruby is watching out for her daughter, pictured here asleep in her crib, in ways she cannot
Gift: At a cost of $10,000, church and community donations helped Faith's family purchase Ruby from a special kennel in Mississippi that trained her
Training: That kennel in Mississippi trains dogs to have an exquisite temperament and sense of smell, detecting when diabetics' sugar levels are off'I can't imagine life without Ruby. I know if it weren't for her I would have already buried my child,' Mrs Wilson said, he voice breaking.
'It's a very researched, very scientific breeding to produce the quality of dog we're looking for,' Rachel Thornton, director of service programmes at Wildrose Kennels in Mississippi, where Ruby came from, told KLTV.
'We breed for scent ability and temperament, and it yields a dog that has done very well as a diabetic alert dog,' she said.
According to ABC, right before a diabetic may suffer a seizure or other harm due to blood sugar levels, their metabolism changes.
Quick response: When Faith's blood sugar level drops, her body's metabolism changes and with it, releases a smell similar to nail polish remover that Ruby senses
Signal: When Ruby notices Faith's drop, she is trained to grab a type of toy, seen here, to alert Faith's mother to check her daughter's blood sugar levels
Terrifying reality: Faith's mother Sarah Wilson, seen with her sleeping daughter on her lap, says that if it weren't for Ruby, she would have already buried her childThat change releases a subtle scent recognizable to dogs trained like Ruby. It's a smell similar to nail polish removed.
When this happens, Ruby knows to look for a specific type of toy and bring it to her owner, notifying Faith's mother that it's time to check her daughter's blood sugar levels.
'I can't even put into words what that dog has meant for our family,' she said while cradling her sleeping daughter, tears forming in her eyes.
source: dailymail
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