Rydstroms raise money for service dog

Theresa Davis, Gazette Editor
Posted 9/28/17

“It’s something people can’t really see, so they may have a hard time understanding,” Carrie said. “It’s hard as a parent. I go to bed at night and pray that my son will wake up in the morning.”

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Rydstroms raise money for service dog

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Easton Rydstrom (left in sunglasses) is a sophomore at KHS. His family is raising money to buy him a diabetic service dog. (GAZETTE PHOTO / Michelle Tibbetts)

Easton Rydstrom is a 15-year-old sophomore at Kemmerer High School.

He is just like most other Kemmerer teenagers — he plays sports, he loves to fish and hunt and spend time with his friends.

But Rydstrom was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 12 years old, and it’s a condition that can be life-threatening if not carefully monitored.

“We’ve had some fairly scary moments,” says Easton’s mom, Carrie. “He has a constant glucose monitoring system that sets off an alarm if his sugar levels get too low. One night his blood sugar level was 23, and we almost lost him.”

The Rydstroms are raising money to buy a diabetic service dog that could alert Easton or someone else when his blood sugar levels are too low or too high. This dog would accompany him to school, home and wherever else he goes.

Carrie says Easton has to check his blood sugar levels several times during the night.

“We’re pursuing a dog because it would give Easton more freedom and independence, and would give me more of a sense of security,” Carrie said. “I cannot lose my son because I didn’t try hard enough,” Carrie said.

The Rydstroms are hosting a gun raffle to raise money for the service dog, which will cost from $15 to $20 thousand.

“It’s something people can’t really see, so they may have a hard time understanding,” Carrie said. “It’s hard as a parent. I go to bed at night and pray that my son will wake up in the morning.”

In addition to his glucose monitoring system, Easton has an insulin pump. He still plays sports and has tried not to let his diabetes interrupt his life.

“When I was diagnosed it was scary,” Easton says. “I had to wonder if I had to completely change what I ate and what I did for fun.”

Easton’s mom says the dog would give her peace of mind and allow him to eventually go off to college and have other freedoms.

“The monitoring system we have has been fantastic, but a dog could alert him and us a lot sooner, which would help him keep his sugar leveled out more,” Carrie said.

The most common diabetic service dogs that the Rydstroms have researched are retrievers or German Shepherds. The service dog is trained to recognize the particular scents that Easton gives off when his sugar levels are too high or too low. If the dog can’t wake Easton, it is trained to wake someone else who can get medical attention.

“Having this dog would really help me not have to worry when going out with my friends,” Easton says “It would help me be a normal kid.”

Carrie and her son have done research about the companies that breed and train these diabetic service dogs.

After the money is paid, it will likely take six to eight months before the dog is trained and old enough to be with Easton.

Easton says if he gets this service dog, he does want to go off to college after graduating from KHS.

“I’d love to go to the University of South Dakota and study biology,” Easton says. “Then I’d probably go into Game and Fish.”

In addition to buying tickets for the gun raffle, community members can support Easton’s efforts by visiting Bank of the West and donating to the fundraising account the Rydstroms have set up.

“The fundraiser’s not going too bad,” Carrie says.

The Rydstroms will draw the winning ticket for the gun on Saturday, October 21.

Carrie said her son doesn’t let his diabetes stand in his way, and does a great job of educating his friends, teachers and coaches about how to recognize if he needs emergency medical attention.

“Easton’s been great at educating his classmates and his teachers, because a lot of people are curious or just have no idea,” Carrie says. “It’s so much different than Type 2 diabetes.”

Carrie says the service dog would definitely make a big difference for Easton and the rest of his family.

“Our lives changed just like that when he was diagnosed,” Carrie says through tears. “He does really well with it, but we don’t have a ‘normal.’ Our ‘normal’ revolves around his numbers.”

Raffle tickets are $10 for one ticket or $50 for six. Contact Carrie Rydstrom at (605) 670-6215 or message her on Facebook to buy tickets. Community members can also contact Chris or Jenny Clark, Sandy Lozier, or KHS football or golf players to buy tickets.

“We’re looking for anybody to help us,” Carrie says, “whether that’s selling tickets or helping out with another fundraiser. The expense of being a diabetic, even with health insurance, is intense.”

Carrie and Easton say they recognize the extreme expense of the service dog may seem discouraging.

But the Rydstroms are determined to raise the money with the generous help of the community, and help get Easton’s diabetes under control so he can live his life as a normal teenager.

“If anybody has any other fundraising ideas, we’re up for them,” Carrie said. “We hope to have the dog for Easton by the beginning of next school year.”