A 6-year-old boy with diabetes is selling pumpkins to help raise money for a service dog that would alert him when his blood sugar levels drop.
Because of his condition, Ian Unger, a kindergartner at MacNaughton Elementary School, is not allowed to ride the bus without a trained aide, in case of emergency, his mother, Katrina Christensen, told WZZM.
"We asked for one; it was declined," Christensen told WZZM. "Their plan was to put him on an empty bus by himself and take him to school after school starts. And for Ian, he's so social. He was devastated."
Instead, Ian started growing pumpkins in order to sell them to raise money for a service dog. The family sold 150 gourds Friday.
People have donated money and more pumpkins after the family ran out.
"I was in tears all day with all these people coming, and just the love they are showing to him is amazing," Christensen told WZZM.
The family has raised more than $5,000 through a fundraising effort on Facebook. The cost of the dog is more than $25,000.
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