Canadian Diabetic with a Mission Needs Your Help to get a Pepsi Refresh Grant

Toronto, ON Wednesday, January 26, 2011 – Sydney Fletcher, a type 1 diabetic, is being supported by C.O.P.E. Service Dogs of Barrie, Ontario in her bid to investigate the development of a program that will train dogs to detect falling blood sugar levels in type 1 diabetics. This could greatly improve the lives of some of the 300,000 Canadians who are currently living with this disease. Ms. Fletcher applied for a Pepsi Refresh Grant in order to gain the funds to support this endeavour. In order to win this grant, Ms. Fletcher is looking for votes from the public. Voting began on January 4th and will close February 28th, 2011. Voting occurs here (link).

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I truly believe in the positive impact that a service like this could have on the lives of many type 1 diabetic Canadians. These dogs are amazing both in their abilities to detect low blood sugar, but also in their emotionally therapeutic support. Just by voting you could potentially be helping create a life for many type 1 diabetics that is safer, more independent and more fulfilling.~ Sydney Fletcher

On Canada Day 2009, Ms. Fletcher suffered a seizure brought on by a rapid drop of her blood sugar levels while she was sleeping. At the time, she had friends close by to help see her safely through the seizure. Now that Ms. Fletcher is living on her own, she no longer has that support system to help her through a crisis. In the beginning of 2010, Ms. Fletcher began investigating options to help her maintain a safe yet independent lifestyle. In her research she came across an organization in California that trained dogs to detect blood sugar drops in diabetics. Dogs have a sense of smell that can be thousands of times greater than a human. Through training, dogs can learn to use this powerful sense of smell to detect the chemical changes that occur during a blood sugar drop, alert their owners and potentially stop a devastating side effect such as a seizure. Ms. Fletcher contacted this organization only to find out that, due to the continuing training and the specialization that is required for such a service dog, they were only serving diabetics within their local community. Ms. Fletcher began looking for a Canadian organization that provided this service, only to find out there was none. In her quest, she came across Jane Boake of C.O.P.E. Service Dogs. Ms. Boake has long had an interest in training dogs to be a service to diabetics and welcomed Ms. Fletcher’s idea. Ms. Fletcher agreed to spearhead the initial funding process. Pepsi Refresh offered a great opportunity to start the fundraising efforts. Through a votes only process, Ms. Fletcher could win $100,000 CAD. Currently, through the support of friends and family, Ms. Fletcher is in 23rd place. But with the help of the community, Ms. Fletcher could reach first place, turning her dream of helping type 1 diabetics into a reality.

About Sydney Fletcher

Sydney Fletcher is a 26 year old living and working in Toronto. Originally from Kelowna B.C., Ms. Fletcher moved to Toronto in 2004 to pursue her education in graphic design. Ms. Fletcher now works for a major Pharmacy retailer in their advertising department. Ms. Fletcher was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2000. While she lives a healthy, active lifestyle, she finds this condition to be a daily physical and emotional battle.

About C.O.P.E. Service Dogs

C.O.P.E. programs utilize community resources to impact multiple areas of need. Through the training of special service dogs, C.O.P.E. engages and creates positive change in the lives of challenged youth, children and people with disabilities. Life partners experience enhanced quality of life through the support and companionship their service dogs offer. Students learn employability skills, experience increased confidence, and are motivated to be successful in school. Through therapy visits to senior`s homes and hospitals, and work with elementary students struggling with reading and math, C.O.P.E. Service Dogs empower many people throughout their lives. C.O.P.E. is a registered charity and all donations are tax-deductible.