Dan & Jet: Regaining Restful Nights

Dan, a Navy veteran living with diabetes, was paired with his medical service dog, Jet, around 4 years ago. “They said they had the perfect dog for us,” Dan remembered. “And boy, were they right.”

Jet is a diabetic alert dog trained to detect changes in Dan’s blood sugar, especially when those changes become dangerous overnight.

Life Before Jet

Before Jet, Dan’s diabetes could become an emergency while he slept. Nighttime lows sometimes escalated to the point where he required medical intervention, leaving Dan shaken and exhausted, physically and emotionally.

For years, the scariest part wasn’t the diabetes itself; it was the uncertainty of what might happen at night. “I used to be afraid to go to sleep thinking I wouldn’t wake up,” Dan said.

How Jet Alerts Dan

Then came the first successful alert. “The first time he alerted me and woke me up… I realized how lucky I was to have him,” Dan said.
With better sleep came better days, too. “When I get overly tired, like most old men, I get cranky,” Dan said. “So, it’s easier on the wife, too.”

Jet’s work is steady, consistent, and persistent when needed. “He senses it and wakes me up,” Dan explained. “If I don’t get up, he’ll get up on me and lick my face until I wake up.”

How Jet Helps Dan Outside of the House

Jet is trained to be low-profile, so low-profile that people often don’t notice him at all. “The people at the restaurants are amazed by him,” Dan said. “When we got up to leave, they said, ‘ Where did he come from because he was lying on my feet.”

And beyond restaurants, Jet has made everyday errands more social. Dan shared: “Jet’s made us more sociable. Anytime we’re out, we go to the grocery store, and my wife is talking to people about Jet. We get a lot of questions about him,” said Dan.

Dan’s Gratitude and How You Can Help

For Dan, Jet isn’t just a highly trained medical service dog. He’s the reason fear no longer follows him into sleep, the reason emergencies have become less frequent, and the reason daily life feels steadier and safer.

“I can’t thank Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs enough because he’s been a wonder,” Dan said. And when he sums up what Jet truly means to him, he doesn’t hesitate: “Basically, he’s not only my partner, but he’s my best friend.”

Stories like Dan’s are possible because Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs trains and pairs service dogs with recipients who need life-saving support, and because donors help sustain that mission. If you’d like to help more recipients experience the kind of independence Dan found with Jet, consider donating to Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs.

Your support helps fund the training, placement, and long-term success of medical service dog teams, so more people can be matched with a dog that changes everything.

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Mary Jo Brandt

Mary Jo has an extensive history working with the media as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Northern Illinois University. Mary Jo has worked for companies such as Gannett, News Bank Inc., E.W. Scripps Company, Lee Enterprises, Pulitzer, Inc., Arthur Andersen, and has been involved with Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc. since 2011. Ms. Brandt has had many hours of training in leadership, coaching, and mentoring. Her teams have consistently been highly effective in support of organizational mission and goals. She has one son, Paul who is currently in the Navy, and a daughter, Amanda in college and working full-time for a law firm in Naples. Ms. Brandt began volunteering with Guardian Angels after both her father and previous employer received a Guardian Angels Service Dog in 2011. Seeing the incredible difference service dogs could make in the lives of their recipients, she became involved through volunteering her time & talent to Guardian Angels. Ms. Brandt was then asked to join the Board of Directors and has served as a Board Member since 2013. Recently, Mary Jo has been named as a 2021 Patriot Scholarship recipient from Colorado Technical University. When asked why this scholarship and completing her Master’s Degree in Business Administration was so important to her, she responded, “This scholarship represents how important education is to our military/veterans and their families. I am honored to be part of this unique community. I am already in a career that demonstrates my commitment to helping others, I expect finishing this degree will allow me to be much more effective in my pursuit of working with our Veterans. This scholarship isn’t just about me. It is about how I can help others.” Today we face an even bigger challenge that none of us saw coming during the midst of the pandemic and worldwide economic collapse beginning to unfold. Yet again, Mary Jo is stepping up to the plate to be sure that our organization continues to serve those that need us, as we triumph in the face of untold adversity of today’s world. Businesses will only survive these difficult times because of leaders like Mary Jo.

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