More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A woman who trains dogs to sense dangerous drops in blood sugar levels of people with diabetes has been given a special Christmas treat.
Jane Pearman from Tenterden thought up the idea for her charity Hypo Hounds after her daughter, Sophie, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Having trained dogs in the police force, Jane decided to use her skills to teach the family dog Scooby to monitor smells in the air, picking up on scents which indicate a drop in human blood sugar levels and alert Sophie.
The 45-year-old said: "I trained a dog for Sophie and it's saver her life and give me back my independence as a mum instead of being a full-time carer."
Realising there was a lack of support for this specific type of dog training, Jane decided to share her skills and set up Hypo Hounds in Smarden.
She has since trained 45 dogs and not one child has had a hospital admission while accompanied by their furry friend.
Jane was nominated by Sophie who said: "My mum founded and runs a charity training dogs to save the lives of type 1 diabetic children in Kent.
"She does a 72-hour week, donating her time to help others and gets little thanks. She battles with her own health problems and is also a registered carer.
"There are 45 children alive today because of her work and it would be really nice for her to get a big thank you."
kmfm drivetime presenter Rob Wills made the call at 6pm and Jane explained how many people don't realise the impact diabetes can have on people's lives.
She said: "So many children are out there are battling every day.
"Sense training means if the child's blood sugar levels go too low or too high, the dog will wake them up before they even need help."
To thank Jane for all her hard work, kmfm and McArthurGlen, Ashford Designer Outlet revealed she will be having lunch at the Shard along with some money for a shopping spree while in London.
Make Someone's Christmas is now in its fifth year and aims to surprise 10 people in Kent over two weeks in December.
kmfm has received hundreds of nominations about incredible people in the county, with surprise calls having already been made to a foster carer and a Special Olympics gold medalist this year, among others.
