Lehi People
Lehi siblings get back-to-back T1D diagnoses; Raising funds for specialty companion dog
Megan Wallgren | Lehi Free Press
The Grimes family of Lehi is raising money to get a diabetic alert dog after two of their children were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in two month’s time. They are holding a bake sale on Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Ivory Ridge Splash Pad (601 W. 3200 N.) to help cover the cost of a highly-trained service animal.
“A couple of months ago, I had perfectly healthy kids. We went to two Type 1 diabetic babies in just 63 days,” said Kylie Grimes.
Her son Noble, just 10 months old, was first diagnosed at Primary Children’s Hospital at the end of April after going into Diabetic Ketoacidosis. Her daughter Goldie, 6, was diagnosed at the end of June after she used one of her brother’s testing strips out of curiosity and tested in the diabetic range. Doctors then confirmed Goldie’s diagnosis. Luckily, they caught it early.
The general risk of developing Type 1 diabetes is relatively low, around 0.4%. If one child has Type 1, the risk for a sibling is about 5%, according to WebMD, so finding out they had two Type 1 diabetic children in such a short period of time was a shock to Kylie and her husband, Kyle.
Their lives are now full of doctor’s appointments, blood testing and insulin shots. Because it’s so rarely found in babies, Noble spent eight days in the hospital while doctors and nurses did their best to diagnose and treat him.
“I didn’t see any big change in him, but he was a little more tired and not acting like himself. One morning he woke up and was vomiting. He kept throwing up and would fall asleep between it. I knew stomach flu was making its rounds, and so I chalked it up to that. Around 5 p.m., he wasn’t waking. I knew he was getting dehydrated because of the amount he was puking, so I made the decision to take him into the hospital,” Kylie said.
It was a frightening experience. “There were doctors and nurses everywhere. I thought I was just getting him fluids because he was dehydrated, and the next thing I know my baby is dying in my arms.”
Because Noble is so young and can’t communicate enough to participate in his care, it’s been hard to get him regulated. Treatments are designed for children for 4 years or older, and the Grimes have had to adapt those treatments to Noble’s care. This is one of the reasons the family is raising money for a diabetic alert dog.
“We’ve spoken to parents with young Type 1 kids, and they all talk about how crucial a diabetic alert dog is. They are worth their weight in gold because they can detect changes in blood glucose levels sooner than the technology can,” said Grimes.
The animals go through extensive training lasting a couple of years and therefore come at a high price, around $20,000 to $30,000. The Grimes cannot meet this on their own but have felt uplifted by the number of people, including strangers, who have offered to help. The Grimes children have wanted to help too, and have offered their own money from odd jobs they do to help pay for the dog. They decided to hold the bake sale as a way to let their kids participate in the fundraising without raiding their piggy banks.
“We have so many things that have been donated to the fundraiser, it’s been amazing. Now we just need people to show up,” Kylie said. Beyond the bake sale, a GoFundMe has also been set up to help.
After getting further along in the process, Kylie hopes to be able to give back and help those families struggling with a Type 1 child’s diagnosis and help the diabetic community in general. “Once we get out of this learning curve, we can hopefully be a face and resource to help people along the way,” she said.
“Kyle and I have felt extremely guided through this process. It hasn’t been pretty, but it has worked out,” Kylie said. “We’ve felt like we have been walked with through this journey. Even though it’s completely sucked and not been fun, I don’t feel alone in this. I don’t feel like this is in vain. I feel like there is a higher purpose.”
You can follow the Grimes family and their journey with Type 1 diabetes on Instagram @doubledoseofdiabetes.
