WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Nowadays, 27-year-old Ali Lazik's craft comes with more distractions.
"Some days (Ezra) wants to get so close and I'm like dude, you're kind of in the way," Lazik said. "This is our neutral state. He just kind of chills while I do (make art)."
But 9-month-old Ezra is the kind of distraction Lazik has always needed.
"He alerted me right away that my blood sugar was low," Lazik said.
The Williamsville native has Type 1 diabetes and neuropathy, a nerve disorder. One of the side effects is dizziness and she'd often pass out.
Not only would Lazik worry about ending up in the hospital again, but it prevented her from making art. About two weeks ago, she finally met her four-legged savior in Las Vegas.
"Yeah, I bonded with him as soon as we met," Lazik said.
Buffalonians helped Ali raise $15,000 of the $18,000 needed so she could get Ezra from the Diabetes Alert Dogs of America, where he spent the last several months in training.
"I cry about it. I just can't believe how generous people are," Lazik said.
Ezra can smell a chemical change coming and will put his paw on Lazik between four to five times a day to signal her blood sugar is too low or too high.
After years of worrying what will happen next, finally Lazik has the relief she's always wanted.
"I feel more free to not worry the diabetes stuff," she said.
Ezra is now even an employee at Michaels, where Lazik works. It was there, on his second day in Buffalo, that Ezra growled at a mother and her child, who also has Type 1 Diabetes.
"We were talking about diabetes and he actually alerted (the kid) that her blood sugar was high," Lazik said.
When Ezra isn't helping Lazik, or other diabetics, just his presence is raising more awareness about the disease amongst the community.
Lazik's craft and life nowadays may come with a few more distractions thanks to Ezra.
"He's my little sidekick. Goes everywhere with me. Now it's Ali and Ezra," Lazik said.
But now it's also filled with an even greater connection. If you'd like to help Lazik pay off her payments for Ezra, click here.