Brighten Your Day

High School Includes Teen's Service Dog In The Yearbook

May 25, 2017

A pair of best friends are warming hearts all over the internet today.

Junior Andrew Schalk at Stafford High School in Falmouth, Virginia, was pictured in the school year book next to his service dog, Alpha.

Credit: Twitter / @nycstheplacetob

Schalk has Type 1 diabetes and Alpha's job is to alert him when his blood sugar is getting too low or high.

"The amazing thing about Alpha is that he knows 20 to 40 minutes before my blood sugar actually does go low or high due to his amazing sense of smell," Schalk said.

"He has saved my life multiple times already, by waking me up in the middle of the night."

Credit: AJ Schalk

Alpha attends all of Schalk's classes and even has his own school ID.

Schalk said when he asked the people in charge of the yearbook to see if Alpha could be included in the yearbook they were 100 percent supportive.

"He makes a disability, such as my diabetes, such a positive experience for me and my life overall, and really turns it into a blessing rather than a negative part of my life," Schalk said.