Bella is home! Service dog reunited with Ocean Springs teen with diabetes
For Jacob Cokely, his dog Bella is more than just a pet. She’s like a doctor to him.
“She saved my life plenty of times,” said Cokely.
The 19-year-old, who lives in Ocean Springs, has type 1 diabetes, a condition where the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin to effectively control blood sugar levels, according to the CDC.
“She’s able to sense when my blood sugar is too low or high and she’ll wake me up so that I can take my medicine.”
The Labrador retriever also offers a level of comfort to Cokely that was influential in his decision to get his own place.
That’s why she has “best dog ever” on her collar.
“She’s the reason why I was confident enough to get my own place. I felt like I’d be able to manage my condition as long as she was around,” Cokely said.
But for the first time in two years, Cokely had to function without Bella.
Bella ran away on Dec. 30 after she was startled by fireworks.
“We were playing outside like we normally do, and all of a sudden we heard loud fireworks and she just took off running.”
After a long search, Bella was found in the Windsor Park neighborhood Monday morning.
A woman discovered Bella in her yard, contacted the Cokely family and held her until they arrived.
This story was originally published January 4, 2020 at 11:04 AM.
