WKCTC Nursing Student Esther Peters of Mayfield Talks About How Dogs Can Save Lives

2014 Nov 14

Paducah, KY (November 14, 2014) - Esther Peters of Mayfield and her dog Gaston are almost inseparable. Peters, a nursing student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College who has Type 2 diabetes, has trained Gaston for a special purpose - he is her personal glucose meter. Gaston comes to campus with Peters and lets her know when she needs to eat to correct her sugar levels. Peters will share her training experience with Gaston during a free science seminar at WKCTC November 19.

During the presentation, which is free and open to the public, Peters will discuss how she trained Gaston to be able to detect her glucose levels and alert her. The presentation will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Waller Hall, Room 112.

"I trained Gaston as a research project just to see if it could be accomplished," said 35-year-old Peters, a resident of Mayfield. As a parent of five children, Peters said she it's important to offer hope to parents of children with diabetes. "I hope to help them learn how to train their dogs to alert glucose levels as a backup detection plan and to provide a sense of security."

Peters said the training can also help families save money. A canine that is trained in a laboratory can cost over $15,000, she said. "That cost can seem hopeless for families that need a dog to help them with health issues such as diabetes because insurance won't cover it."

For more information about the science seminar, call (270) 534-3236.