Spring Hill, FL– At just six years old, Lauren Stichler was diagnosed with diabetes. She was in and out of the hospital over 50 times as a child because she did not take care of herself or control her diabetes. In a nutshell, she caused her own blindness. In March 2005, her glaucoma was so painful she was forced to make a choice between total blindness or living with immeasurable pain every day. She chose blindness and underwent surgery that killed both her optic nerves.
Even with her health issues, Lauren continued to move through life with a positive attitude and a “can do” work ethic. She became quite adept at getting around using her cane, but she does recall taking a hard bruise to her ego when she fell off a high curb in front of about 500 university students. “I misjudged the curb, my cane flew, and I went down,” she shares. Despite many previous falls with her cane, it was a bit difficult to give up. “I learned to trust my cane,” she said. “Now I’m learning to trust Patriot!”
Patriot is a delightful goldador (a cross between a Labrador and golden retriever) who was recently matched with Lauren at Southeastern Guide Dogs. Southeastern is one of only twelve accredited guide dog schools in the United States and the only one in the southeast. Located on a 23-acre campus in Palmetto, the school’s mission is to create and nurture a partnership between a visually impaired individual and a guide dog, facilitating life’s journey with mobility, independence and dignity.
And how does she like Patriot? “I love him!” she says, smiling. “I’m a dog person. Give me ten minutes alone with a dog and I’m hooked!” Lauren looks forward to taking Patriot home and being able to go out on her own. “It’s been wonderful!” she says of her training experience at Southeastern Guide Dogs.
Lauren has a special relationship with Southeastern, as her Homosassa Springs Lions Club chapter is a strong financial supporter of their programs, which are free to the recipients. Lauren is an active member of the Lions, and her grandmother is the chapter treasurer.
For the next chapter of Lauren’s life, she will be working on a bachelor’s degree in social work at the University of South Florida. “I want to be a diabetic education counselor,” she shares. “I’ve been through it as a kid. I want to help other kids who struggled like me.”
About Southeastern Guide Dogs: Established in 1982, Southeastern Guide Dogs’ mission is to create and nurture a partnership between a visually impaired individual and a guide dog, facilitating life’s journey with mobility, independence and dignity. Through their programs Paws for Independence™, Paws for Patriots™, and Gifted Canines™ they have more than 700 active guide dog teams across the nation and continue to add more than 70 teams annually, all at no charge to the guide dog recipient, thanks to the generous support of donors and volunteers. Visit www.guidedogs.org for further information.