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Dogs trained to warn a diabetic of potentially life-threatening changes in blood glucose levels don’t come cheap.

But Tucker Dodson aims to purchase a $20,000 Labrador retriever for his Wando High School classmate Luke Varadi.

“It’s so that he can be out there going strong and feeling safe,” Dodson said.

For Varadi, having a blood sugar-sniffing dog means less worry about his glucose levels.

“I’ll be able to get more sleep. The dog will alert me when my numbers are going up or down,” he said.

The boys, both 16, are fishing buddies. Tucker is raising funds to buy the dog for Luke as an expression of gratitude for Luke teaching him the finer points of fishing.

Luke lives on Isle of Palms and Tucker on Sullivan’s Island. The boys have been friends since elementary school. The idea for the fundraiser was born when a girl with a diabetes alert dog who was visiting the boys began barking. The girl’s blood tested fine but Luke’s was dangerously high.

“The dog picks up a change in blood sugar by smell,” said Carol Varadi, Luke’s mother.

Read more in Friday’s editions of The Post and Courier.

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