Boy with diabetes collects pennies and purchases himself a puppy
Aiden Heath from Waitsfield, Vermont, was once a four-year-old who wanted nothing more than to get a puppy, just as so many young children do.
Except Aiden's reasoning was a bit different -- diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age three, he heard that service dogs can be used to help monitor glucose levels in diabetes patients.
SEE ALSO: This 8-year-old started a cookie empire to buy a house for his single mom
His mother, Jenni Heath, explained to the Valley Reporter just how pertinent It is that glucose levels are constantly and consistently monitored in Aiden:
"All diabetic parents are up two, three and four times a night checking their kids' blood sugar. Aiden's is up and with no rhyme or reason. So many things affect your blood sugar. When he hits a growth spurt, his levels are all over the place. As his mom, I never stop thinking about his numbers. I think about it all the time and he thinks about it all the time."
When Aiden expressed his desire for a dog, his mother told him he could get one if he could save up for one – starting penny by penny.
And that's exactly what he did.
Four years later, eight-year-old Aiden had amassed nearly $9K.
Aiden's GoFundMe page explains:
"The service dog can sniff blood sugar levels 20 to 30 minutes before they actually drop and if Aiden's blood sugar begins to drop during the night, the dog will jump up on Aiden to wake him up and if he doesn't wake up, the dog will alert the family."
Thanks to GoFundMe, Aiden was able to reach fellow diabetes sufferers, supporters and strangers that were touched by his story.
He surpassed his original $12K goal and raised over $22K, allowing him to purchase the dog of his dreams – A black Labrador named Angel.
His mom told ABC News:
"Aiden looked at me and said, 'This is a dream.' He was on pins and needles waiting for her."
And now, he finally gets to take her home.
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