SANDPOINT — While she was initially frightened after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 8 years old, Hailie Neufeld let go of her fear and now uses her condition to spread awareness of the disease.

"I was always trying to teach her to make a positive out of a negative," said Hailie's mom, Lyndsey Neufeld.

Because Hailie, who is now 11, wanted to help people and spread awareness, she went to the Coeur d'Alene City Council and asked if they would designate a Diabetes Awareness Week, which they did. The following year, she convinced the Hagadone family to "Light up the Town Blue" with awareness, and for the past two years, the Coeur d'Alene Resort has been lit up with blue lights for diabetes awareness during the November event.

Since then, Lyndsey Neufeld, along with Monica Oliver of Coeur d'Alene, and Steve and Lynne Fitch of Sandpoint, started a local nonprofit called Halo's One Hope to support families of those recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

"I was a single mom when Hailie was diagnosed, and I was really struggling financially," Neufeld said. "So my mission is to help people, because I received a lot of help along the way."

It was through those who helped Neufeld that Hailie not only got a year's worth of medical supplies, she received her diabetic alert dog, Rory.

Hailie got Rory when the dog was 6 months old, Neufeld said, and she is "literally" Hailie's life saver as the pup can sense when her blood-sugar levels are abnormal. Rory was provided to Hailie by Lily Grace of Sandpoint, who created and opened The National Institute for Diabetic Alert Dogs in 2002, along with her husband Ken, according to lilygraceservicedogs.com. After selling NIDAD in 2015 and moving to Sandpoint, they created Lily Grace Service Dogs.

In return for the assistance Hailie and Neufeld have received, Halo's One Hope has raised money to help families out at Christmas time, and its founders are now working to raise money for Camp STIX, a camp for youth with diabetes. This will be Hailie's third year attending the camp and it was a "game changer" for her, Neufeld said.

Camp STIX is an independent, community-based summer camp for children and teens with Type I diabetes. The camp is held at Riverview Bible Camp on the Pend Oreille River near Cusick, Wash. Each year, more than 220 volunteers and 200 campers attend Camp STIX, camp counselor Alicia Walker Walker told the Daily Bee last year when the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in Sandpoint donated $5,000 to the camp.

Each camper’s tuition is around $900, which is discounted when considering the supplies the campers receive while they are there, as well as supplies to take home. Just a bottle of insulin for someone without insurance costs about $400, Walker said. Because of the unique nature of Camp STIX, it costs just under $200,000 to run camp each year. With financial donations, Walker said they are able to grant many full and partial scholarships to campers who are unable to afford the $900.

The goal of Halo's One Hope this year is to raise $1,800 — enough to send two youngsters to camp. The group will also be raising funds to help families at Christmas again this year.

Donations can be made at gofundme.com/camp-stix-or-bust. Anyone in need of assistance with sending a youth to Camp STIX, or with other assistance regarding youth with Type 1 diabetes, can contact Halo's One Hope at [email protected].

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.