Finding help in the most unexpected places.

Ever since we decided to try to get Bella a Diabetes Alert Dog we have enjoyed great support from family, friends and strangers. I have mentioned that in several of these posts and am still in awe of the kindness and compassion of the people around us. This experience has renewed and invigorated old relationships with childhood, high school and college friends. We are not that far into it and the time and effort we've put in has been worth it just for those rewards. It's also been a very sublime experience. Balancing the dreaded thoughts of "what could we have done differently" and "how could we let our 2 year old get diabetes" are thoughts of "wow, what did I ever do to make this person I haven't talked to in twenty years want to help us."

What's been spinning in my brain lately is the unlikely partnerships we've struck up and how unexpected they have been.

The opportunity we have with the Craven Chocolate Explosion! is one of those unlikely alliances. It came about through timing and the wonderful mother / mother in law of some wonderful friends. What's more unlikely than a Chocolate Festival sponsoring a Type-1 Diabetic kid? It really is perfect. We have received so much support from this group and they are going above and beyond to spread the word and Bella's story. The Chocolate Explosion is being organized by the Family History Society of Eastern North Carolina. They have been so wonderful to work with and we can't thank them enough for choosing to help our family.

Perhaps the biggest surprise has come from the tattoo industry. Kat and I both have our fair share of tattoos, but we are not what you might call active in the tattoo community. About 18 years ago I completed about half of an apprenticeship before realizing that wasn't what I needed to be doing at the time for a lot of reasons. In early August I had an old friend, who I had lost contact with when he left to do his apprenticeship, ask if he could do some benefit tattoos for Bella's dog. We thought it was a great idea, but weren't really sure what to expect. As word got out it quickly grew beyond any expectation that we had. All of a sudden we were receiving encouragement from people within the tattoo community. There was custom made tattoo machine made and auctioned for Bella. And then another. Another studio is planning a raffle for her, and we've been told that a group of artists in Oregon is working on something. It turns out that within the big burly scary tattoo industry there is a very tight sense of compassion and family, whether you know them or not. We are forever grateful to Phoenix Tattoo Studio, Matt Mebane, Rob Rutherford, Aaron Moodie for all that you've done, and to everyone who is planning or have just reached out to us. We appreciate everything greatly. Thank you to everyone who was tattooed for the benefit or bid on a machine we appreciate that too.

The Tattoo Industry has raised close to $1800 toward Bella's dog in about a month.

You never know exactly where you can find help, support and inspiration.

-n.

By Request of Matt Mebane- Bella with the proceeds from her fund raiser.

Glitter Puppy by Rob Rutherford Machine Works

 Aaron Moodie Machines

Big News!

Big News!

We've been sitting on this one for a while...


We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with the Craven Chocolate Explosion! and The Family History Society of Eastern North Carolina. They will be donating $2 from each ticket to Bella's Dog!


Spread the word! We need patrons, vendors and volunteers!


Download the Press Release

A Little Bit Closer Everyday...

As we approach the 2 month anniversary of Bella's T1-D diagnosis we are getting closer to our overall goal for Bella's D.A.D. We have hit 17% of our total goal just from the kindness and generosity of our friends and family. We have also been selling the GASD bracelets and the tattoo fundraiser is still on-going until 8/31. Thanks again to Matt Mebane, Rob Rutherford and everyone at Phoenix Tattoo in Raleigh for the help.

It has been a hectic couple of weeks, I started a new semester yesterday and we are still trying to get a handle on this "new normal" thing. I'm starting to accept that we're there and it's not going to get easier or less hectic.

We have a few very exciting things coming up which we will announce as the details become more tangible. I just wanted to check in with a quick update and let everyone know we appreciate all of your support and kind words. Thanks for all your help.

-.n

Denied....

I just got off the phone with Social Security. I had a phone interview to apply for Medicaid. We got denied because supposedly we make too much money. What a joke that is.

I just don't understand how they can turn down a child with a disease that is life-long because of the parents' salary. As parents of a diabetic, you KNOW how expensive this disease is. Here is a breakdown of her medication costs:

Lantus: $40/month
Humalog: $40/month
Glucagon: $64/dose
needles: $10 for 200 (this doesn't last a month)
syringes: $10 for 200 (this doesn't last a month)
alcohol pads: $2.37/100
BG test strips: $20/200 (we have to refill every 2-3 weeks)
Ketone monitor test strips: no deductible...insurance won't cover them
Ketone urine strips: $10/100

Her specialist appointment is $81 per visit. this is her co-pay amount. Health insurance is such a joke. My husband works for the state and has the worst health insurance. Shouldn't state employees receive good benefits??

I'm so bummed. Hopefully, i can shake this crummy mood. Today is hubby's first day of fall semester, so he will be gone a lot more than over the summer :(

Thanks for letting me vent.
~K

Flash for Bella's Tattoo Fundraiser 8/7-8/31

This is the flash sheet for Bella's Tattoo Fundraiser. Thanks to Matt Mebane and Rob Rutherford at Phoenix Tattoo in Raleigh for this great idea.

From Matt:
Here's the designs for the Dog for Bella benefit. These will be $25 until the end of the month. 
I'm flexible as far as colors and stuff but have to be pretty strict about keeping to these 
designs, but will make some exceptions. Also, I don't own the shop where I work, so for simplicity this is cash only. Thanks

So, we've made a couple of appointments for the benefit but have plenty of time for more. And, because of how important I feel it is to get tattoos specific to the benefit and understanding that some people may not want a dog paw or a pets name tattoo I've come up with another way to help. I will be raffling off 2 gift certificates to get tattooed, 1 for $100 and the other for $60. R

affle tickets are $5 with all proceeds going to A Dog for Bella. If you get one of the special tattoos from the sheet of designs AND want to purchase a raffle ticket, I'll give you 2. Thank you guys who have set up times already to those who will. I've got a number in my head I'd like to raise, so let's do this!

Come by Phoenix Tattoo-Studio to purchase the raffle tix. We will sell them for the whole month and do the drawing Friday August 31st.

You can make an appointment with Matt, and he will accept some walk-ins...


Phoenix Tattoo Studio
1215 Hillsborough Street  Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 834-8055

http://www.phoenixtattoostudio.com/cms/

http://mattmebanetattoos.com/home.html

tattoobattleground@gmail.com

Why a Diabetes Alert Dog? (Part 2)

This is the second installment of "Why a Diabetes Alert Dog?". These posts are really meant to fill everyone in on some of the new challenges we are facing and how the addition of a service dog to our family will help alleviate some of the new found pressures we are feeling.

I would like to dedicate this particular post to Mason, He is Bella's big brother, or "Bubby" as she calls him. Mason is about to go into the second grade, he is an avid reader (and sometimes a little too avid of a TV watcher), and loves Starwars, Legos and Ninjago. He is what we call a puzzler, he has an analytical mind and has questions about everything. (Really. Everything.) His preschool teacher nicknamed him "The Professor" and his Kindergarten teacher created an award for his unending curiosity and questioning nature.

Mason visits Bella in the Hospital Playroom

The reason I wanted to dedicate this post to him is because this disease has impacted him in different ways than Kat and I. I wanted to, in someway, acknowledge his sacrifice and hardships that I know he's going through because of Bella's T1-D.

As a seven year-old he has an understanding of how serious Bella's situation can be, but there are certain things that are difficult for him to grasp still. The biggest of which is food distribution. All of his life he's been able to eat when he's hungry. Now because of T1-D management there are only certain snack windows. I know this frustrates him having to be on his sister's schedule. He is trying but will beg for food setting off a chain-reaction which can be hard to get a handle on.

The biggest thing. The reason I dreaded writing this. The thing Mason would never admit. Is the attention. I have said "Not right now, Mas" or "Just let me finish this thing first" more times than I care to admit over the past month and a half. Mason doesn't get the donations or the webpage. He generally has to wait until we "check a guy" or get Bella her shot. Bella is under constant surveillance by us and as we are learning how to deal with all of this Mason has had to wait his turn. We have made an effort to not leave him out of Bella's care, and to be a part of the D.A.D. process. Maybe it's just parental guilt talking, but this must be the stinkiest summer vacation ever.

Mason and Bella adore one another. Bella does everything Bubby does, and we have put him to work in getting her to eat in a timely manner and do what she is supposed to. He has been the best big brother since the day Bella was born and will continue to be. He hasn't complained once about all the changes we've gone through and all the changes he's had to make.

This picture says everything about their relationship.

Although we try our best, here's hoping that once the D.A.D. is here and trained it will free up some more one on one time for Mason.

-n.

Tattoo Fundraiser for Bella 8/7-8/31

For People in Eastern North Carolina Matthew Mebane & Rob Rutherford are doing a unique fund raiser for Bella's dog, Thanks so much!

So, starting Tuesday August 7th, I will be doing $25 dog paw, diabetes awareness logo, or your dog's name tattoos with all proceeds going to help my friend Nathan Dolde and his family. I'll do them everyday I'm at work until August 31st.

 If you're interested in getting tattooed please email me here tattoobattleground@gmail.com. I'd really like to set up appointments for these and I'm sure some folks will be coming from out of town, but I'll try to fit them in as walk-ins too.

 Also, my good friend and co-worker Rob Rutherford will be building a one off tattoo machine dedicated to diabetes awareness we will be auctioning with the proceeds of that going to the cause. If you don't wanna get tattooed but would still like to donate, there is a link on the attached blog or you can come by the shop and give it to me and I'll get to the Dolde family.
Thanks everyone and please repost.

Phoenix Tattoo Studio
1215 Hillsborough Street  Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 834-8055

http://www.phoenixtattoostudio.com/cms/

http://mattmebanetattoos.com/home.html

tattoobattleground@gmail.com