Diabetic alert dog is finally home with his new family - TODAY'S TMJ4

Here we are on TMJ4 news.  It is wonderful to see this all come together.  We are so grateful! 

Diabetic alert dog is finally home with his new family - TODAY'S TMJ4

How you can help

Many people have asked if there was any way they can help.  Yes.  Nathan has many medical bills that have piled up in the last 3 years.  He has been to the hospital multiple times and just the normal Dr. visits and medicine has become a huge strain on our family.  If anyone would like to donate towards Nathan's medical bill you can by hitting the donation button on the right.  We are so grateful for the love and support that has been shown to our family.  Thank you again for all that you do.  The Hatch Family

Together Forever!

This pair is already inseparable! What a wonderful sight to see. LOVE!

1st Day of School...Big Assembly!

Nathan, Sunny, and Ed Peeples waiting for the bus on Sunny's first day at school. Last year Nathan had a major seizure at school, we are hoping that with Sunny there he will have a safer experience. Today Ed Peeples and Nathan are going to put on an assembly for the school. We are then going to walk through how Nathan will care for Sunny at school. We will be doing a fire drill, going to gym, foods, his locker, the cafeteria, sitting at a desk, where to keep a water bowl for Sunny, and where to take Sunny out to use the restroom. It is a lot of information and a lot of new things for Nathan and Sunny to learn but I know they will get it. What a big day!

Here Sunny is alerting Nathan during the assembly that Nathan is low. Luckily he alerted right before they went on so we got juice into Nathan and knew that Nathan would do just fine. I am sure the kids got a kick out of see a live alert and the teachers then could know exactly what to expect. I thought Nathan, Sunny, and Ed did great during the assembly. Ed was able to explain what a service dog is, how he will help Nathan, and what the rules are for the kids regarding Sunny.

You can only see a small part of the gym in this picture but the kids filled the whole place up. The assemble was for 900 kids and all of the staff. Way to go Nathan, Sunny, and Ed!

Nathan and Sunny in class together!

Peace...

Here are my 3 little ones all tuckered out and asleep. My Mommy heart is filled with peace.

Night Time Training

One of the most important times for Sunny to work is when Nathan is asleep. At nighttime Nathan's blood sugar can drop quickly without anyone being aware. I check Nathan's blood sugar often through out the night. One of my biggest fears is to go in his room and find him in a seizure, unresponsive, or dead. Sunny will be a huge part in keeping Nathan safe by alerting Nathan and waking him up when his blood sugar goes too high or low at night. We also attach a bell to his collar so that I will be able to hear Sunny and come help. This takes a huge burden from my shoulders. Here we are practicing Sunny's night time alerts. Good Boy Sunny!

Shopping Time!

Shopping Time, always a good time. Nathan took Sunny to the store for the first time. He got to help pick out supplies for Sunny. Nathan also had the chance to practice obedience training with Sunny. Nathan learned how to get Sunny to heal, sit, lay down, stay, come, and so on. We were really proud when another dog started barking and lunging at us and Sunny just stood quietly by Nathan's side. I know that Sunny is 100% ready to go with Nathan every where.

Out to Eat...YUM!

On Sunny's first day here we took him out to eat. Nathan was able to learn how to take care of Sunny in a public place. He also learned more about the law reguarding service dogs. It is a blessing to live in a time where by law Nathan is allowed to take Sunny with him where ever he goes. Now we can enjoy going out to eat as a family. :-)

Sunny's 1st Alert

When Sunny arrived Nathan's blood sugar was high. Sunny immediately alerted Nathan. It is wonderful to see Sunny taking care of Nathan right off the bat. We are so proud of Sunny and so grateful he is here.

Our New Family Member....Sunny!

Nathan watches out the window waiting for Sunny to arrive.                



Sunny gets out of the car and runs right up to Nathan. He knows his boy already!          

Nathan and Sunny, together at last.

Sunny is Flying Home!

Ed Peeples, our trainer, is flying Sunny home to us. We are so excited that both Nathan and I can't sleep. Will tomorrow ever come?

Sunny Comes Tomorrow!!!

Sunny comes tomorrow!!!  I can't believe it is already here.  Lets all cheer together!  WOOOOHOOOO!!!!

It's Offical...

3 Year Anniversary!

This week is Nathan’s 3 Year Anniversary for being diagnosed with Addison’s disease and type 1 diabetes. I have a lot of feelings about this but mostly I feel grateful for the progress he has made in those 3 years.

Nathan at the hospital learning to give himself a shot.
When I think back to his 1st Year Anniversary, I remember feeling so discourage and over whelmed. Nathan was struggling to thrive. He was hardly going to school at all and because he had brain trauma when he first got sick he was relearning how to read and write and add again. For about 3 months that year we watched my 10 year old slowly wither away to 42 pounds. His Addison’s was going crazy which was life threatening and made his blood sugar levels drop at a rapid pace all of the time. Which was also life threatening. I felt I was watching my son die before my eyes. I felt lost and scared.

Nathan at his 10th birthday party.   Last year at his 2nd Year Anniversary, we had recently moved to Wisconsin. I was trying to get used to new doctors and a new way of doing things. Nathan was doing much better at school. The time and effort we put in to relearning had really paid off but he was still very behind and struggling to stay in school. He had gained weight back and was looking much better. His big acheivment this year was getting a pump to help manage his type 1 diabetes. It helped a lot but we still struggled with the combination of Addison’s disease and type 1 diabetes. His numbers would be fine one moment and then drop so fast we couldn’t keep up. I nicked named it a death drop because if we didn’t catch it in time that was exactly what was going to happen. Night times were the worst because I was so afraid to sleep. Right around his 2nd Year Anniversary Nathan had 2 major seizures. One of them was at the school where they feel that they almost lost him. The burden of being with my son 24 – 7 was starting to weigh me down. I felt alone in his care and was searching for ways to help him live a safer and happier life.

Nathan getting ready to go in for his big school choir concert.
Now we have hit his 3rd Year Anniversary. He has continued to do better. He is growing and gaining weight like he should, he is getting more and more caught up in school (although that is still a struggle), and we found Sunny, a diabetic alert dog that will change his life. I cannot believe we will be getting Sunny this week, during his 3 Year Anniversary! What an amazing sign of hope! He still has his hard days and I am still with him where ever he goes but I know he will continue to improve. With Sunny’s help he will be able to start down a path of independence. I am humbled and grateful for the help and support we have received. This has been a year of miracles and I know that the Lord has sent angels (those of you who have helped) into our life. We are truly blessed!
 

Nathan and Sunny relaxing on his bed. This was taken 2 months ago when Sunny got to visit for the weekend.