Having a child with diabetes is a frightening thing. Not only do they have to suffer through a litany of pokes, prod and health scares, but they have to be worried about something few other children their age do: their blood sugar. 

That's why Luke Nuttall's parents decided to provide their son with a diabetic alert dog when he was just two years old.

Since he was so young, Luke couldn't know when his blood sugar was too low all by himself, so their family's new important addition, Jedi, took over that responsibility for him....

Facebook/Saving Luke

When Luke was two years old his pancreas stopped producing insulin naturally, and he was subsequently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. His parents knew the future would be rough for their little boy, so they enlisted the help of an adorable diabetic alert dog, Jedi.

With the help of friends' and family members' donations, the Nuttalls brought Jedi home and watched as he and Luke quickly became the best of friends. Wherever Luke went, Jedi followed behind closely - the cuddly chocolate lab knew his job and took it seriously.

But one night things took a scary turn. Luke and his parents were fast asleep when Jedi began to go crazy. Luke's mother shared what happened next on the duo's popular Facebook page, Saving Luke:

The following post is long, but it's definitely worth the read.

"This may just look like a dog, a sleeping boy and a number on a screen, but this, this moment right here is so much more. This is a picture of Jedi saving his boy. Saving him from highs and lows and from ever feeling alone. 

Five minutes before I took this picture we were all asleep. No alarms were going off, no one was checking blood, no one was thinking about diabetes, and it's in those moments when our guards are down, when we are just living life, when we let our minds drift from diabetes, that it has the upper hand-and things can get scary very fast.... but thankfully we have a Jedi. 

Jedi jumped off the bed, then back on again, though I felt him do this I didn't wake up. Then Jedi laid on me. I woke up. He jumped off the bed and half on and would not budge when I told him to get back up. 

I got out of bed, he bowed, Luke's CGM said he was 100 steady. So I told Jedi we would watch and see, he bowed again (Bowing is his low alert), I told him to get up on the bed, he held his ground didn't budge, he refused. Then I knew he meant business and the sleepy fog started to wear off and I began to think clearer. 

I suddenly was fully awake and I knew there was an issue. I pricked his finger and got this, 57 is way too low, and by Jedi's behavior I guarantee he was dropping fast (he is still recovering from a stomach bug and anything under 70 is low)."

Facebook/Saving Luke

"Luke was laying right next to me, just inches from me, and without Jedi I would have had no idea that he was dropping out of a safe range. 

His CGM should have caught up and alerted in the next 20 minutes or so and I had an alarm set for an hour from then to get up and check, but he would have been much lower. Jedi's early alerts help us prevent dangerous situations. Luke has never woken up on his own for a low in over 4.5 years. 

We are his safety net, he goes to bed every night, and although he doesn't know it he relies 100 percent on us to keep him safe overnight. That's why we check his blood sugar overnight, every night, and we have every tool, every monitor, and have spent everyday of the last 3 years training Jedi to alert to highs and lows, because type 1 diabetes is relentless and we need as much help as we can get. 

This is a picture of Jedi saving his boy from a potentially dangerous low. Amidst a disease that does everything in its power to make life so much harder, this is a picture of loyalty and love and perseverance. A reminder that we will not let diabetes win, that we will never give up, and that we will always fight for our children. 

Good low Jedi, yes it's time for a late night puppy party. 

(I had already given him a glucose tab to raise his blood sugar before I took this picture and there was nothing else I could do, so I took one second to take this quick picture - because in that moment while you're waiting for your child's blood sugar to come up like you've done thousands of times before and you'll do thousands of times again, it's very easy to feel alone in a world that doesn't understand all that somebody with Type 1 diabetes goes through on a daily basis. 

So in that moment I decided I would take a picture so I could later share this story, because if we don't share our stories how would anybody ever know that this is what my son, and millions of others, go through every single day. 

Most people don't know that we often see multiple lows and highs every single day, no matter how hard we work or how diligent we are, it's not easy trying to be a pancreas. That Luke's had thousands of shots and finger pricks that started when he was just two and will never stop unless there is a cure. We need awareness about a disease that most of the world doesn't understand, we need to help show the world why we so desperately need a cure)"

Without Jedi, Luke may have slipped into a diabetic coma or passed away. The Nuttalls know they are blessed that their son has a guardian angel looking over him at all hours of the day!

Facebook/Saving Luke

What do you think about Jedi's swift actions? Share your thoughts and feelings in the Facebook comments section.

Sources: Facebook/Saving Luke / FB Image Credit: Facebook/Saving Luke