How Can You Help a Fellow Member?

 

Dear SNEA members,

I am writing to you to ask for your help for a fellow MNEA member and a friend of mine.

My friend, Lori Zanitsch from Special School District, is in need of raising S25, 000 for a service animal- a DAD?

 

What is a DAD you ask?

A Diabetic Alert Dog (DAD) is trained to alert their handlers when the sugar is 80 and below or 180 and above. The dogs start training when they are 7-8 weeks old. The DAD will alert me or do "go tells". This is when the diabetic does not check their sugar or ignores the DAD; the Diabetic Alert Dog will go and find someone else to tell that the diabetic is not testing. The DADs will go and retrieve the meter bag, juice box, or other needed item. The DADs will go with the diabetic to any public place (if the public is allow by federal law so are Service Dogs). This includes work and school. If for some reason the diabetic has to be admitted into the hospital the DADs are able to stay by their side and alerting to sugar lows and highs.

Why does Lori need a DAD? Doesn’t she have a service animal?

Yes, Lori has a cat-Cosmo. He has been her service animal for many years. In October she felt a lump on Cosmo.  After surgery was performed and a biopsy completed it was determined that he had Feline Vaccine Associated Sarcoma.  The vaccines he was given during the summer had created the cancer.  1% of all cats vaccinated get this type of cancer.  This type of cancer does not respond well to typical cancer treatments so now he is going to have his leg amputated.  This is not a decision that Lori wanted to make but Cosmo has saved her life so many times it is now time to save his. Therefore she must replace him as her service animal.

 

How can I help?

Contact Melissa Albright at 417-343-2120, email melissamalbright@hotmail.com or stop by the SNEA office purchase to raffle tickets for a 32 inch color TV. Tickets are:  1 ticket for $5 or 5 tickets for $20.

The drawing is Jan. 31.

Please act now. I would love for an SNEA member to win! But better yet, you will be helping a fellow member.

 

If you would prefer to donate and receive a tax deduction go to the following site and donate:

http://sdwr.donordrive.com/campaign/cosmic

The best part about being an MNEA member is that we are family and family helps family. I hope I can count on you to help fellow member and friend Lori Zanitsch.