A Centertown woman is on a mission to purchase her key to a healthier life - a service dog.
For decades, Shelly Dougherty, a mother of five and grandmother living in the small town, has lived with Type 1 diabetes, a disease that has demanded her constant attention.
After suffering a miscarriage at age 20, Dougherty had a follow-up appointment with her doctor, who discovered her blood sugar level was dangerously high at 786. In her lifetime, she went from one shot per day with meal monitoring to her current shot intake - five or six daily.
She has developed hypoglycemic unawareness, a condition in which diabetics cannot detect their blood sugar levels. About two months ago, the condition caused her to endure a near-death experience.
On a trip, Dougherty shared a hotel room with her sister, and when Dougherty went to bed, her blood sugar was at an adequate level of 200. Shortly into her sleep, Dougherty became unconscious with a blood sugar level below 20 and unreadable by her monitor.
Luckily, her sister was nearby to take charge.
But as someone who lives alone, the fear of a similar situation looms. Dougherty must wake up every two hours to check her levels, never getting a steady sleep.
Now, Dougherty, her friends and family are fundraising so she can obtain a diabetic alert dog through the Nebraska-based company Heads Up Hounds. They are utilizing the online fundraising site, gofundme.com, to pull in donations. As of Wednesday, they had raised nearly a third of the $7,500 goal.
"She doesn't have the means to do it by herself," said friend Lynn Denny. "Failure isn't an option at this point. We're going to get her a dog one way or another."
A service dog will have a major impact on her life, Dougherty said, and in two significant ways.
"Freedom, and I would love to have a full night's sleep," she said, laughing at the latter comment.
Diabetes has debilitated Dougherty both personally and professionally. She worked as a nurse for more than 15 years, with stints at Callaway Community Hospital, Jefferson City Medical Group as a nurse practitioner and St. Mary's Hospital. Decreased mobility and four heart attacks forced her out of her career, one she decided on soon after being diagnosed at St. Mary's.
Nurse Florence Vaughn cared for Dougherty there, and the woman's kindness and nurturing nature won over the young Dougherty. She attended nursing school at Lincoln University, then went on to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing.
"I hate (not working)," she said. "I miss it every day."
Friends and family, particularly her children and grandchildren, motivate Dougherty to battle through health issues. Denny, who established the GoFundMe page, said she's observed resilience in her friend.
"She keeps going and even when she gets knocked backwards, she's up and going," Denny said. "She has a lot of strength. She doesn't know it, but she does."
After years of caring for others, Dougherty hopes to depend on a service dog to look out for her. Heads Up Hounds' diabetic alert dogs come from rescues and shelters, and there isn't a particular breed given to clients, said co-owner Jamie Cook. Dogs that are 1 or 2 years old, medium to large in size and with the right temperament go into a three- to four-month training process.
The dogs are trained using saliva of diabetics with low and high blood sugar levels, Cook said. When matched with a person, the service dog can utilize its heightened sense of smell to detect unhealthy blood sugar levels and warn its owner by tapping its nose on the owner's hand.
"It's subtle enough not to let others know something is happening," Cook said.
After applying, a potential owner will wait nine to 12 months to be placed with a dog. When matched, the owner and dog will train together and bond during a three-day orientation in Nebraska.
The Fraternal Order of Eagles in Jefferson City, located at 1411 Missouri Blvd., will host a Halloween bash and chili cook-off to benefit Dougherty's quest for a service dog on Oct. 30. Supporters will also be selling breakfast, coffee and hot chocolate on Black Friday outside of Hastings and Hobby Lobby.
For more information, go to gofundme.com and search "Shelly's service dog."