Boy diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes surprised with service dog donation

By Talia Clarke

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    YARMOUTH, Maine (WMTW) — 5-year-old Easton Merrill was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last year. Today, he was surprised with a his very own service dog named, Banksy.

Easton wears technology to alert his parents when his glucose levels are too high or low. Easton’s father, Chris Merrill, says, “It (diabetes) is no longer the death sentence it was years ago. He can live a fulfilled life but it doesn’t mean it’s easy.”

Banksy comes from the organization Diabetes Dogs of America based in Las Vegas. The dog was trained for 6 months on Easton’s smell and how to get help when Easton is not responsive. Banksy will accompany Easton everywhere he goes, including to school.

A service dog like Banksy costs nearly $30,000, a price tag not typically covered by insurance.

Chris’s cousin Mandy passed away in 2019 from diabetes complications – but the last few years of her life she was able to have some independence with the help of her own service dog, Mylo. After her passing, her father and sisters started a boat tour company they ran for summers on Lake Winnipesaukee with every dollar going to pay for a service dog for a child recently diagnosed with diabetes. Chris received a call from his mother, that his family had reached out and has chosen his son Easton – to receive a diabetes service dog.

Chris and his wife Trisha say they are so grateful for Banksy, and want to pay it forward. They have raised several thousand dollars for the organization Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

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