Dog helps diabetic girl

Alena, 6, has type 1 diabetes London - Arabstoday Maisie the Labrador is more than just a best friend to her six-year-old owner - she is her life-saver. Alena Hughes has type 1 diabetes and relies on Maisie to tell her if she is in danger of falling into a life-threatening diabetic coma. When her blood sugar levels are low, Alena's skin smells of pear drops, while if it is too high, her breath gives off a different odour - which only Maisie is able to detect. Alena's mother, Victoria Hughes, 35, said: ‘It's a unique scent that only Maisie can sense. “She's always hunting for that smell and as soon as she picks it up, she tells Alena.” The charity Medical Detection Dogs trained Maisie, who was already the family pet, to detect the odour and respond to it so that Alena can take action. If Maisie detects that Alena’s blood sugar is too high or too low, she will nudge her owner until she gets a response so the youngster can take the necessary steps to level her blood sugar. “The charity and Maisie have helped Alena no end,' said her mother.”  “At her age she doesn't know when her blood sugar is too low, pretty much until she is going to collapse. But we trust Maisie 100 per cent.” “Alena is always her main concern and she goes everywhere with her.” “Maisie just lifts her head up and smells the air and if unsure she will go up to sniff Alena. “ “Alena knows exactly what she has to do when Maisie tells her, and if she doesn't respond, Maisie will come and tell me so I know that Alena needs help.” “She then has an insulin injection or something very sugary, such as a drink of orange juice, and her levels will get back to normal.” Alena, from Doncaster, Yorkshire, was three-years-old when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. “We didn't know what was wrong with her,” Ms Hughes added. “Her behaviour was horrendous. “ ‘She wouldn't eat properly and all she would take from me were sugary things.”  “Alena would drink a full bottle of water or juice in one go and then want some more. “ “It was only because she was always bursting for the toilet that we found out.” The family has had to adapt to Alena’s gruelling treatment which includes having to inject her up to six times a day. Ms Hughes said: “It was heartbreaking. She was only three. We had to prick her finger. She would cry and we would have to hold her down to do what we needed to do.” “Then we would have to inject her. I would get very upset because I felt like I was hurting her.” In a desperate bid to allow her daughter to lead a normal life, Ms Hughes, and Alena's father David, 43, discovered Medical Detection Dogs. “They seemed like a really good idea,” he said. “We already had a dog so I was worried about getting another but there was a two-year waiting list so I put our names down.” “After eight months, they came out to see us and assess Alena.” Amazingly, it turned out the family's own dog already smelled Alena's unique scents and she only needed a little further training to make her a Medical Detection Dog. Ms Hughes added: “Alena and Maisie had such a close bond already that Maisie was looking out for her health.” “We had to spend around four months training her up a little more specifically using treats when she detected a rising or falling blood sugar level.” “We take Maisie everywhere with us, even into the supermarket.” “Alena show-jumps and Maisie is even with her when she's on the pony. They really are inseparable.” “She will do it for the rest of her life now that she's trained.” Ms Hughes believes all children who have a condition such as diabetes should be able to have a Medical Detection Dog as it gives them “a new lease of life”. She said: “The amount of people that these dogs have helped is incredible.” “I think all children should be able to have one of these dogs. It takes a lot of the worry and fear away.” “Alena now has a great quality of life and she has a best friend too.” “They have such a strong bond. It's so lovely.”