SAN ANTONIO — Hoffmann Elementary is now home to its first full-time service dog - helping alongside second-grader Carter Stride, who has Mitochondrial Myopathy Complex IV Deficiency, which requires regular monitoring.
"She is trained to detect Carter’s blood sugar, when his blood sugar drops too low or ketones go too high, and alert his teachers or me or his dad at home so we can check his sugar and get him the food or medicine or help he needs," said Carter's mom, Lee Ann Stride. "It’s made a huge difference. It’s given him the independence and help that he needs and it has given my husband and I peace of mind at home to be able to let him be a kid, let him play and have fun and do what kids want to do and not be hovering around him all the time – making sure everything’s okay."
The Strides received "Charlotte" through "Make-a-Wish," after Carter read a book about a child with mitochondrial disease who had a service dog.
(To learn more about mitochondrial disease, click here.)
"It was on this day that we was on this park thing and we went to this place at that park thing and then they brought Charlotte out and I didn’t know I was getting Charlotte, and then they brought her out and she was hidden somewhere," Carter Stride said.
Carter has learned a lot about mitochondrial disease and about Charlotte's purpose, and shares it with his classmates. he also shares what they are, and are not, allowed to do with her,
"I was just talking to everybody, showing them what Charlotte does," Carter said. "They really wanted to pet her… and they said, I’ll give you some money. And I said – NOPE! But that would be cool."
Carter's second grade teacher, Cassandra Del Toro, says Charlotte has become a central part of Hoffman Elementary.
"The school knows her, the whole school knows her, and she walks through the school like she’s on Cloud nine, a pep in her step, everyone waving," Del Toro said. "I think it’s been a benefit to have Charlotte, a service animal, it causes the class to be more calm, their relationships with each other."