This young man was matched with a service dog. ? It’s Banksy.
Maine boy diagnosed with type 1 diabetes surprised by service dog donation
Yarmouth family spreads awareness about type 1 diabetes
Five-year-old Easton Merrill was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year. Today he was surprised by his own service dog named Banksy. Easton is equipped with technology that alerts his parents if his blood sugar levels are too high or too low. “Diabetes is no longer the death sentence it was a few years ago. He can live a full life, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy,” said Easton’s father, Chris Merrill. ” Banksy is from the Las Vegas-based organization Diabetes Dogs of America. The dog was trained for six months on Easton’s scent and how to call for help when Easton was unresponsive. Banksy will accompany Easton everywhere, including when he goes to school. Service dogs like Banksy cost nearly $30,000, a price that is usually not covered by insurance. Chris’ cousin Mandy passed away in 2019 due to complications from diabetes, but he was able to maintain some independence during the last few years of his life with the help of his service dog, Milo. After her death, her father and her sisters started a boat tour company that they operated on Lake Winnipesaukee during the summer months, with every dollar going toward purchasing a service dog for a child who had recently been diagnosed with diabetes. Chris received word from her mother that her family had contacted her and selected her son, Easton, to be their diabetic service dog. Chris and his wife Trisha say they are so grateful to Banksy that he wants to pay it forward. They raised thousands of dollars for an organization called the Youth Diabetes Research Foundation.
Five-year-old Easton Merrill was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year. Today he was surprised by his own service dog named Banksy.
Easton is equipped with technology that alerts his parents if his blood sugar levels are too high or too low. “Diabetes is no longer the death sentence it was a few years ago. He can live a full life, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy,” said Easton’s father, Chris Merrill. ”
Banksy is from the Las Vegas-based group Diabetes Dogs of America. The dog was trained for six months on Easton’s scent and how to call for help when Easton was unresponsive. Banksy will accompany Easton everywhere, including when he goes to school.
Service dogs like Banksy cost nearly $30,000, a price that is usually not covered by insurance.
Chris’ cousin Mandy passed away in 2019 due to complications from diabetes, but was able to maintain some independence during the last years of her life with the help of her service dog, Milo. After her death, her father and her sisters started a boat tour company that they operated on Lake Winnipesaukee during the summer months, with every dollar going toward purchasing a service dog for a child who had recently been diagnosed with diabetes. Chris received a call from her mother informing her that her family had contacted her and decided to adopt her son, Easton, as a diabetic service dog.
Chris and his wife Trisha say they are extremely grateful to Banksy and hope to return the favor in the future. They raised thousands of dollars for an organization called the Youth Diabetes Research Foundation.
