Guardian Angels on earth: Highmark sponsored service dogs assist veterans
Charlie and Blue are more than a man’s best friend.
The German shepherds are lifesavers.
If Dan Smith’s blood sugar is approaching dangerous levels at night, Charlie, who sleeps on a cot next to Smith’s bed, wakes him up.
Right before Shar’Ron Harris is about to have a seizure, Blue licks his hand to gently calm his owner.
“God gave dogs gifts humans don’t have,” said Carol Borden, founder and CEO at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, based in Florida, a company that pairs trained medical service dogs with veterans and individuals with physical and behavioral health challenges. “They can sense chemical changes. They can alert a person to a situation before an alarm goes off. They are important medical devices like wheelchairs and canes.”
Charlie and Blue were matched with Smith and Harris through Guardian Angels.
“These dogs make an enormous, life-changing impact,” Borden said. “They are always by your side.”
Getting the animals to the people who need them takes money, Borden said. Sponsors such as Highmark are the “lifeblood of what we do.”’ Highmark has sponsored Charlie and Blue and will have two more dogs. Sponsors name the dogs. Highmark covered the $25,000 it costs to train a dog. Highmark has a business resource group for military personnel and veterans to share issues and establish a support network.
“Not many people can say they saved someone’s life, but a sponsor such as Highmark can say the dogs they’ve sponsored have saved lives,” Borden said.
Charlie has saved Smith, 71, of Butler, who has Type 1 diabetes, many times. The dog can detect changes in blood sugar level, based on scent.
“He will put his paws on my chest or lick my face to wake me up,” Smith said. “If my blood sugar level drops too low, he wakes me up so I can get something to eat. It is so much better looking up at him staring at me than the EMTs (emergency medical technicians). He is truly an extension of me.”
Smith said he usually gains 15 pounds in the winter. He’s more active with Charlie. Smith heard about Guardian Angels through a friend.
“Those electronic gadgets for detecting low blood sugar didn’t help me,” Smith said. “I slept through all the warnings.”
Smith, a Navy Vietnam veteran, takes Charlie to sporting events, car shows and for long walks at a local playground. He and Charlie will attend a wedding this month in Virginia Beach.
Smith recalled one day when Charlie gave the I-need-to-go-outside look.
“I need my shoes,” Smith said to Charlie. “The next thing I know, Charlie brought me my shoes. I am constantly learning what this dog can do. He’s such a good companion. I talk to him, and I think he actually knows what I’m saying. My wife thinks we have our own language.”
There definitely is a connection, agreed Harris, 41, of Homestead and also a veteran.
“Blue means a lot to me,” Harris said. “She is great with me. I sleep well having her by my side. The minute I saw her, I knew she was my girl.”
Harris heard about the dogs when his mother saw a commercial about them.
“Listen to your mother,” Harris said. “Before I got Blue, I would jump up out of bed in fear of possibly having a seizure. Now, my mom has to check on me to see if I am awake I sleep so well. I cannot imagine life without Blue. She looks up at me like, ‘are you OK?’ She will brush against my feet if she senses something is wrong. She knows my body language. We’ve adapted to each other.”
Harris said the veteran mental health concern is real.
“I have never thought about suicide, but I can understand when you feel like something is wrong with you and you think you are going crazy,” Harris said. “I know that feeling and it’s not a good one. I haven’t felt that way in a long time because I have Blue.”
Harris and Blue explore bike trails and ballfields. They enjoy evenings in Homestead’s Waterfront shopping complex.
“We’ll get out together even more now that it’s nice outside,” Harris said. “I’m looking forward to going fishing, and Blue will be my fishing buddy.”
Blue was specially trained to detect chemical changes in the body and has helped Harris, who has epilepsy and prior brain surgery, avoid seizures. Harris has fewer post- traumatic stress disorder- related symptoms, including nightmares.
“It’s amazing,” Harris said. “Once I got Blue, things started getting better. I’m not having these wild PTSD dreams. When I had seizures, they were at night, and I’m not having them anymore.”
Borden said they chose German Shepherds because they were the first service dogs.
“German Shepherds are versatile and intelligent and have keen sense of smell,” said Borden, who plans to build a service dog training center in Robinson. “And they are loyal. They love working 24/7. They can tell when a person’s voice changes in tone.”
Guardian Angels has recipients in more than 30 states, including more than 40 paired dogs in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The company teaches college-accredited dog training and service dog training courses. It takes nearly two years to fully train each dog.
“We have recipients who tell us they’re walking this Earth today because of their service dogs,” Borden said. “You can’t even begin to put a price on saving a life like that.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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