Huntsville teen's non-profit helps diabetic kids around the country

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - A Huntsville teen battling diabetes relies on his service dog, so he created his own non-profit to help get dogs for kids like him.

Four years ago, Dylan Lancaster created Dylan's Dogs for Diabetes or D Cubed, and today, he's helped place four service dogs with kids who need them.

Diabetic alert dogs can tell when glucose levels become irregular before anyone else can, and can help save lives.

The dogs are expensive, though, which is where his non-profit comes into play.

Aside from having a successful nonprofit at the young age of 13, Dylan is just like any other kid, he enjoys hiking, plays drums for the band at church, and loves his dog.

The only difference is Dylan's four-legged friend goes with him everywhere.

"I love Jack, I love having Jack, I don't love the reason I have him," Dylan Lancaster said.

A dog's sense of smell is seven times greater than a human's is, so Jack can smell when Dylan's blood sugar goes up or down. Diabetic alert dogs like Jack save lives.

The only problem is that they cost around $20,000 each.

"Trying to explain that to a 9-year-old, why that's a lot of money didn't quite set in," Dylan's dad John Lancaster said.

John said they raised the money, and now Jack is part of the family, but for Dylan, that wasn't enough.

"It's not fair only I could have one," Dylan said, "I feel like everyone should have one."

Dylan sets up benefit dinners and auctions, and he drums up community support by hiking the Applicachain Trail to raise money.

Every penny raised goes to another kid with diabetes getting a dog.

Dylan's already donated 4 dogs, and he's working on getting his 5th to a diabetic child in North Carolina.

The original goal was 3 but he says he's not quitting anytime soon.

"I've always been told to do the right thing. To finally be able to do that on such a large scale makes me incredibly happy," Dylan said.

You can support Dylan's Dogs for Diabetes, or D Cubed, by visiting DCubed.org, or attending one of their upcoming events:

Saturday, October 29, 2016
All day at Cheeburger Cheeburger on Whitesburg Drive
15 percent of sales from Cheeburger Cheeburger will go directly to helping pay for diabetic alert dogs for children and young adults who struggle with Tyle1 diabetes every day.

November 17, 2016
6 p.m. at the Jackson Center
Dinner with D Cubed: A Black Tie Event will raise funds to get an alert dog to a child who needs it.

For tickets, please call founder Dylan Lancaster at 256-830-8416

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