They say a dog is man's best friend, but for 7-year-old Nicholas Keim from Citrus Heights, Calif., he is so much more.
When he was 18 months old, Nicholas, who has Down syndrome, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, according to the GoFundMe page his parents set up to raise money for a diabetic alert dog.
It can be hard to know if his blood sugar is at a dangerous level, and Nicholas has a difficult time communicating, so this type of dog is trained to alert his parents, Krista and Chris Keim, when Nicholas' blood sugar drops, HLN reported.
His family has raised more than $13,000 to get a dog through the National Institute of Diabetic Alert Dogs, according to News 10. The money will go toward an alert dog named Andy, who will hopefully give Nicholas the ability to play sports and be as active as possible without his parents needing to look over him all the time. Now that his family has raised enough for Andy, they hope to raise funds for other families in need, HLN reported.
Earlier this month, Krista Keim told KCRA that Nicholas has been looking out the window eagerly awaiting Andy's arrival.
"The diabetic alert dog could essentially save his life," she told HLN.
Related
Before You Go
