Bringing a Diabetic Alert Dog Home for Uriel

Short Story

Our 9‑year‑old son Uriel has Type 1 Diabetes and cannot feel his dangerous highs or lows. We’re raising 23,000 dollars for a trained Diabetic Alert Dog to help protect his life and give our missionary family in the Philippines more peace and safety. Please consider giving or sharing to help us bring this dog home for Uriel. Thank you for being part of Uriel's story!

Long Story

Our son Uriel is 9 years old and has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for two years. He was diagnosed in April 2024 after suddenly becoming very sick and slipping into a diabetic coma, for 10 days and staying in the hospital for three weeks. Since then, diabetes has become a part of every moment of his life and ours.

One of the scariest parts is that Uriel cannot feel when his blood sugar is high or low. His numbers rise and fall very fast, and he has been in the 20s without feeling it at all— even collapsing mid-run because his sugar dropped so suddenly. Our Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) helps, but it is always about 20 minutes behind and can be off by 10–30 points, sometimes showing 65 when he is actually 25–30. On top of that, it his arms, causing painful rashes and raw skin.

We are seeking a Diabetic Alert Dog (DAD) because a trained dog can smell changes in blood sugar before devices or even the body itself show obvious signs. DADs are trained to alert when blood sugar is low, high, or changing too quickly, giving us a critical early warning so we can treat Uriel before his levels reach a dangerous range. For our family, a pump is not a safe option right now, because Uriel can’t feel when he is low, and we need another layer of safety that doesn’t rely on his awareness.

This dog will do more than alert—it will help protect Uriel’s life and improve his daily quality of life. With earlier alerts, we can adjust his sugar before things become an emergency, which means fewer terrifying crashes, more stable moods, and more room for him to just be a kid and have fun. For us as parents, it means the possibility of sleeping a little more at night (can I get an amen) and letting him enjoy normal activities with more peace of mind.

The total cost for a Diabetic Alert Dog for Uriel is $23,000. This covers the dog, its specialized training, and the cost of getting the dog to us in the Philippines or getting us to the school in the United States when training is complete. We are working with Diabetic Alert Dogs of America and already have an account with them. Once we make the first $2,000 payment, they will begin training his dog, and we will have 12 months to finish paying the remaining balance.

We are missionaries to the Philippines, and medical care is not close to us and is often not the best when emergencies happen. Having a DAD with Uriel will be a huge step toward safety and peace for our family. We are planning for a smaller dog (a miniature Goldendoodle) so that it can easily travel with us wherever ministry and life take our family.

If you feel led, would you consider helping us bring this life‑saving partner home for Uriel? Every gift, large or small, moves us closer to the day when he has a dog by his side watching over him. If you are unable to give, we would still be deeply grateful if you would share this campaign and pray with us for provision and protection for our boy.

Thank you for loving our family and helping us give Uriel a safer and fuller life.