My name is Sydney Jackson. I am a senior at Cathedral High School.

Growing up I have had three different autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately they say if you get one, you get a couple of their friends too.

At the age of three I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata (the loss of hair), and at that age there is not much that can be done to regrow hair. The day after my ninth birthday I was diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes.

Little did I know my life would be different from that day forward. At the end of 2016, I was diagnosed with thyroid disease. Growing up with any autoimmune disease is not easy. There are no breaks, and it gets more difficult each day. Anyone who has chronic health issues understands how expensive maintenance medication along with doctor appointments can be. I have been a type 1 diabetic for almost 10 years.

My dream has always been to have a diabetic service dog, but I knew the cost was very high, as they can range from $8,000 to $20,000. This is why I am asking for your help. My family and I are having a fundraiser  from 2 to 6 p.m. on April 15 at Bowies Tavern. We will be selling cochon de lait plates for $10 at 4 p.m. in the Barrel Room. The plate also includes sides and a dessert.

If you wish to pull up and get your plate, we will have volunteers that will bring it to your car for your convenience, but we would encourage you to stay a while to enjoy the live music, door prizes and fellowship.

Tickets will be sold in advance as well as at the event. We will also be selling T-shirts before and at the event. If you would like to join us for live music, local musicians that have confirmed to play are Brint Anderson, Will Wesley, Rabbit Hat featuring Chris Jackson, Drew David and Gabriel Bass, and more. They will be playing from 2 to 6 p.m. We are asking for a $10 donation to enjoy the live music and for a chance to win one of our fabulous donated door prizes.

The Corner Bar in Natchez will be having a Crawfish Boil on April 8 to help raise funds for my alert dog. Crawfish will be served at 4 p.m. for $10 per person.

If you would like to help but cannot attend either event please visit my Go Fund Me page called “Sydney’s Diabetic Service Dog.”

A diabetic service dog will help me live a healthier and a more secure life. The dog can tell the owner when their blood sugar is going high or low, while either awake or asleep by the smell that the human puts off. It has always been a concern for my family and myself because when I sleep my sugar goes very high and then the next day I am fighting it to get it at a normal level. If a diabetic continues to have high blood sugars for a continued amount of time, it can cause their organs to shut down.

The dog will alert you by pawing you, nudging and sometimes licking, they can even be trained to bring you things, or get someone in case of an emergency.

As I plan on attending the University of Southern Mississippi, having this dog will bring peace of mind to my family and to myself. My service dog will be allowed to go anywhere I am allowed to go.

For the past seven years I have taught the sixth grade classes at Cathedral School about Diabetes, and I have also been asked to educate an assembly of kindergarten through sixth grade students at Adams County Christian School which I am looking forward to doing before the end of the school year.

I plan to study pre-med in college to hopefully become an endocrinologist. An endocrinologist deals with many different conditions including diabetes, thyroid disease, lack of growth, osteoporosis and much more. After having seen several different endocrinologists one stands out as having made a significant impact on my life. Dr. Bastian always made sure I was checking my sugars, taking the right amount of insulin and getting exercise. He always responded to my mother’s emails concerning me, or making arrangements for me to see him if it was needed. Since he passed away I have seen two more endocrinologists, but have never felt the same way about them that I did with Dr. Bastian.

Now that it is my time to go to college and make a difference in the world, I have decided to study and become an endocrinologist, hoping one day to be like the doctor that had such a big impact on my life and many others. With your help I could get a diabetic assistance dog that could help me as I attend college by allowing me the security and confidence to further my education and live a healthier lifestyle.

My family and I would like to thank everyone that has supported our efforts to obtain a diabetic assistance dog. Special thank you to our chefs for cooking our pigs and crawfish. A huge thank you to Bowie’s Tavern and The Corner Bar for allowing us to use their venue to have these fundraisers in the community.

A heartfelt thank you to the musicians for donating their talents to this event. Every one of you has a heart of gold.

The support we have received and continue to receive from our community is a wonderful blessing, one of many reasons we call Natchez home.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Sydney Jackson and Family.
Sydney Jackson is a senior at Cathedral.