The Etowah County Commission commended Hokes Bluff Middle School student Annagrace Gardner, daughter of Charlie and Staci Gardner, for creating a nonprofit organization to help children with diabetes and other be able to get diabetic alert dogs.
Annagrace was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2012.
She recently went on the insulin pump, but her treatment has required her to check blood sugar six to eight times a day and take four to six shots daily.
She started the nonprofit organization “Sugar Dogs Ministries” to raise money and awareness about Type 1 diabetes.
Annagrace now has a diabetic alert dog in training, a golden doodle named Bayli, that will be able to alert her if her blood sugar gets below 70 (before it gets dangerously low.
Annagrace and her family have trained with a nutritionist, a social worker and medical personnel about managing diabetes, but they all feel better about getting a service dog as an added precaution.
Through her nonprofit, Annagrace will help other children and families to obtain that added precaution also.