When Sadie entered the world in January 2012, her parents were ready to welcome a healthy 7-pound baby girl.
They had no reason to believe otherwise — every check-up had gone smoothly, and their hearts were filled with excitement.
But within moments of her birth, their joy turned to fear. Something was clearly wrong.
Michelle, Sadie’s mom, could only watch in shock and devastation as her newborn daughter was whisked away to another hospital for emergency surgery.
Sadie’s tiny body was fighting for survival, and doctors raced to connect her esophagus to give her a chance at life. In those terrifying moments, her parents’ world was turned upside down.
One week later, they found out that Sadie had Down syndrome.
After two months in intensive care they could finally take their daughter home. But their happiness was short lived.
Just a few months later Sadie had to go to intensive care for a heart operation. That’s when they found out that she had Type 1 diabetes, Michelle writes on Go Fund Me.
The parents fought hard to keep control of Sadie’s blood sugar levels. If they were too high or too low it could be life threatening.
Truly lived up to his name
It was a constant concern, until one day they brought home a new family member, labrador Hero.
Everyone knows that dogs have a great sense of smell. But did you know that their sense of smell is so good that they can tell if blood sugar levels are dangerously abnormal?
Back in December 2015, Hero truly lived up to his name.
One day Sadie was in her classroom in Deerfield Elementary School in Cedar Hills when Hero, who was at home, started to act strangely.
Hero, who’s usually a very calm dog, was barking so much that Michelle became worried.
”He’s normally a very quiet dog. Whining is not in his protocol. But he just started whining and he would not stop,” Michelle told 2KUTV.
She got in touch with Sadie’s teacher and asked if she could check her daughter’s blood sugar, reports news channel KUTV.
”Sadie’s mom called me and asked if I could check her numbers, and they were fine,” the teacher, Ms. Stoneman explained. “I tested her, and everything seemed okay. But within half an hour, she took a sharp turn.”
But Hero continued to bark.
Just 30 minutes later the teacher took another look at Sadie’s blood sugar level. It had sunk from 122 to 82, reaching a dangerously low level.
If Sadie’s blood sugar gets too low she could end up in a coma. In the worst case, she could die. Hero had sensed the threatening situation from miles away, long before it could be registered.
Hero’s trainer, KC Owens explains that labradors have hundreds of thousand of receptors in their noses, which makes them the best candidates for this life saving job.
No one knows exactly how Hero sensed Sadie’s dangerous blood sugar levels when she was so far away.
Sadie’s parents still can’t fully explain how Hero instinctively knew how to react that December day. It’s something they can’t quite wrap their heads around.
”I can’t explain it. It’s a God thing. I think it’s like mother’s intuition. These dogs have abilities and senses beyond our understanding.”
Update on Sadie and Hero
Today, Sadie and Hero share a bond that remains as strong as ever. Despite his retirement as a service dog, Hero continues to have Sadie’s back, always alert and looking out for her at home.
Though he’s now a little older and deals with joint pain, he still plays a vital role in her life. The family occasionally updates Sadie’s Facebook with her progress, and in a 2023 comment, Sadie’s dad shared, “He is still with us and still alerts at home. He struggles with joint pain so he doesn’t go out on trips.” Hero may be retired, but he will always be an irreplaceable part of their family.
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