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Elle & Coach: Diabetes, the Fight for My Daughter's Life, and the Dog Who Changed Everything
The endearing true story of a Type-A mom struggling to care for a daughter who has Type 1 diabetes--and the incredible service dog who changes their lives for the better.
Stefany Shaheen takes readers on an emotional journey as she tries everything to manage her daughter Elle's deadly and unpredictable disease, all while juggling a family of four children. Overcoming the skepticism that a dog can provide answers that medical science is still seeking, the family finds a resounding sense of peace and reassurance through Coach's near miraculous abilities as a medic-alert dog, specially trained to detect dangerous changes in blood sugar levels. Elle & Coach is a story of determination and finding hope in the most unlikely of places.
Stefany Shaheen takes readers on an emotional journey as she tries everything to manage her daughter Elle's deadly and unpredictable disease, all while juggling a family of four children. Overcoming the skepticism that a dog can provide answers that medical science is still seeking, the family finds a resounding sense of peace and reassurance through Coach's near miraculous abilities as a medic-alert dog, specially trained to detect dangerous changes in blood sugar levels. Elle & Coach is a story of determination and finding hope in the most unlikely of places.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2015
23 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
July 2, 2015
This was a personal read for me as I have a kid with t1d. I'm thankful for this book as we don't know very many people with this disease so I just gulped this story down. She gets it and that's refreshing. It would be a fascinating read for anyone who would like to know more about medic dogs, diabetes and/or personal struggles. I'm so glad this book was written!
June 22, 2015
Stefany Shaheen doesn't need to think when asked what was the worst day of her life. It was November 28, 2007, the day her daughter Elle was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Elle and Coach recounts the family's journey and the trials they faced managing Elle's chronic illness. Elle was active in the fight against the disease and signed up for many research studies. She and her mom also acted as delegates and spokespeople for the fight to find better treatments and a cure for this autoimmune disease. It was through their advocacy that they learned about medical service dogs who can alert to blood sugar lows and highs simply through their sense of smell. Coach is the dog that changed Elle's life.
Elle and Coach was written for adults, but is not a difficult read and may appeal to 'tween and teen readers who are interested in diabetes or medical service dogs. Elle's story is a strong and courageous young woman and the stories of Coach's skill are both heartwarming and awe inspiring.
I loved this book and read it quickly in a weekend. Coach doesn't become involved in the story until about half way through, so a warning and a bit of skipping may be called for in the case of dog-loving and impatient younger readers. I think they'll think the delay is worth it though and cheer on Elle, an amazingly strong and appealing girl. This would be a great addition to middle school and high school libraries or classrooms. Highly recommended.
I read Elle and Coach as an electronic ARC courtesy of Hachette Book Group and NetGalley.
Elle and Coach was written for adults, but is not a difficult read and may appeal to 'tween and teen readers who are interested in diabetes or medical service dogs. Elle's story is a strong and courageous young woman and the stories of Coach's skill are both heartwarming and awe inspiring.
I loved this book and read it quickly in a weekend. Coach doesn't become involved in the story until about half way through, so a warning and a bit of skipping may be called for in the case of dog-loving and impatient younger readers. I think they'll think the delay is worth it though and cheer on Elle, an amazingly strong and appealing girl. This would be a great addition to middle school and high school libraries or classrooms. Highly recommended.
I read Elle and Coach as an electronic ARC courtesy of Hachette Book Group and NetGalley.
September 16, 2018
I read the whole book in 2 hours. I cried from the first chapter to the last page. Even if diabetes hasn't affect your life, and even if you don't have dogs or kids, and even if you don't like to read true stories, and even if you don't like to read at all ... just read it. :)
October 5, 2015
Quick read but engaging. Very enlightening on what life is like with Type 1 diabetes.
September 21, 2015
Elle & Coach, Diabetes, the Fight for my daughter's life and the dog who changed everything by Stefany Shaheen
We live in a dog world. We might as well face it. Dogs are everywhere. They live in apartments, houses, farms and ranches. They live in igloos and on boats. Dogs even live in offices. There is bring your dog to work day. There are costumes for every holiday for dogs. There are doggy toys, doggy treats and doggy this and that.
Even if you can't stand dogs or don't have a dog, you will be touched by a dog somehow - not just physically. Thanks to Facebook, there are cute dog videos being shared all the time.
The book shelves in stores have dog books.
Which is OK with me.
Most of the stories are the same, but some have a little twist, that are memorable and can be life-altering for the reader.
Take for example, Elle & Coach by Stefany Shaheen.
The story revolves around Elle, Shaheen's daughter, and her battle with diabetes, and the dog who came into their lives and pretty much changed their world for the better - Coach.
Many people don't really think that a dog can help in a medical emergency, but Stefany and her family decided to go against the odds, especially where Elle was concerned - with her diabetes.
Coach is a medic-alert dog, trained to detect dangerous changes in blood sugar levels.
In this memoir, hope and determination drips through each page, and absorbs into the heart and soul of each reader as Stefany details with poignant emotion the journey that the family has taken in fighting for Elle's life, and how Coach, a four-legged fur piece just bounds into their lives as Elle's "knight in shining armour."
Even if you don't like dogs, even if you don't have kids, even if you don't have diabetes, this story is for you. Encouragement for living explodes through the ink and the crisp pages.
Check it out.
(Becky Holland/TCM INK/2015)
We live in a dog world. We might as well face it. Dogs are everywhere. They live in apartments, houses, farms and ranches. They live in igloos and on boats. Dogs even live in offices. There is bring your dog to work day. There are costumes for every holiday for dogs. There are doggy toys, doggy treats and doggy this and that.
Even if you can't stand dogs or don't have a dog, you will be touched by a dog somehow - not just physically. Thanks to Facebook, there are cute dog videos being shared all the time.
The book shelves in stores have dog books.
Which is OK with me.
Most of the stories are the same, but some have a little twist, that are memorable and can be life-altering for the reader.
Take for example, Elle & Coach by Stefany Shaheen.
The story revolves around Elle, Shaheen's daughter, and her battle with diabetes, and the dog who came into their lives and pretty much changed their world for the better - Coach.
Many people don't really think that a dog can help in a medical emergency, but Stefany and her family decided to go against the odds, especially where Elle was concerned - with her diabetes.
Coach is a medic-alert dog, trained to detect dangerous changes in blood sugar levels.
In this memoir, hope and determination drips through each page, and absorbs into the heart and soul of each reader as Stefany details with poignant emotion the journey that the family has taken in fighting for Elle's life, and how Coach, a four-legged fur piece just bounds into their lives as Elle's "knight in shining armour."
Even if you don't like dogs, even if you don't have kids, even if you don't have diabetes, this story is for you. Encouragement for living explodes through the ink and the crisp pages.
Check it out.
(Becky Holland/TCM INK/2015)
March 10, 2020
I didn’t really like this book. I loved Elle and Coach and their story and there were definitely very cute and heart warming moments. The narrator was very very unlikeable. It was like listening to someone complain about their life for hours and why everything was so hard. I get she was trying to show how Coach made it better but it was just exhausting at times. This is coming from an extremely affluent family whose mother is a senator.... I don’t think she ever acknowledged how lucky they were in so many ways. I also really didn’t appreciate when she talked down about people with Type 2 Diabetes. I feel like the mother taking about how great of a person was very selfish and really took away from Elle’s story. How many times do we need to hear that she’s a great person who did all these great things and is a fighter and blah blah blah. Including her run for office at the end was absolutely unnecessary and further detracted from Elle and Coach. This story should be called “my political fight for diabetes”.... I just couldn’t listen to another moment of a politicaly charged complainer.
February 27, 2019
I got this book as an ARC through NetGalley way back in 2015. I don't know why this book took me so long to read. It really is fabulous. I have always been a dog person and believe the great majority of dogs are very smart, smarter than the many people give dogs credit. But I'm always in awe of dogs that are service animals be it in the form of being a police dog, a drug or bomb-sniffing dog, a seeing-eye dog or less identifiable service dog, such as in this case, where Coach can detect high or low blood sugar. This was such an enjoyable read. It was well-written and provided the necessary information, but was never boring. Most ARCs do not include the photos that are included in the published book, but this one did and I appreciated that they included them. Regardless if you want to learn about Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, although it does not affect only juveniles or if you are a dog lover and want to learn more about a wonderful certified diabetes dog, this is a great book.
October 11, 2015
Elle and Coach is an inspirational love story. When I decided to open this book, I could not put it down until I finished it. It talks about living with a child with type 1 diabetes. True this in a heart-tugging topic but the topic is dealt with such inspiring insight. There were tears at parts but most of the time I was inspired by the author and her daughter.
I think this is a book that can be read by anyone and they would feel the way I did.
I was given this book by NetGalley and Hatchette Books in exchange for my honest review.
I think this is a book that can be read by anyone and they would feel the way I did.
I was given this book by NetGalley and Hatchette Books in exchange for my honest review.
December 14, 2015
I have known the author, Stefany, since we were in high school and this story is so authentic, and truly her voice. She has always fought for her family, friends, and causes she believes in- and this book shines a light on it all. I hope this starts more discussion and brings more awareness to Type 1 Diabetes and the importance of research. I can't wait to see what's next for Stefany, Elle, AND Coach!
May 25, 2016
Fascinating story on two levels - Although I gave a kidney to a friend who had type II Diabetes, I never really understood Type 1. Very informative and the struggle to keep all things balanced is so much more complicated than I realized. Secondly, how Coach could determine when her sugars were unbalanced was amazing. I would have liked to have read more about that training process.
Would be a good SR book for middle-school through high school.
Would be a good SR book for middle-school through high school.
July 24, 2015
Awesome book!!!!!! Kept me engaged from start to finish!!!!!! Elle and her mom and family are amazing!!!!!! And Coach is one incredible dog!!!!!!! Really felt for Elle through her struggles and triumphs. Great book!!!!
April 8, 2024
I'm trying not to make this personal but that is almost impossible. It is very well written
and to comprehend that a dog is that capable to be the alarm for the lows and highs
is incredible. The support this family receives and the family itself is very involved and true activists. With people like them and dogs that can help relieve the family of the day to night stress of Type 1 diabetes gives great hope for the future. The book is about a young girl that is diagnosed with diabetes and does clinical trials to help with on going research. They received a dog that has been trained to be able to alarm the owner. The girl is trained to be responsible for the care of the dog and it goes with her to school, dance class and sleeps with her. Our granddaughter was diagnosed at the same age in the same way this girl was. It would be a great asset if she had a dog to awake her in the night.
and to comprehend that a dog is that capable to be the alarm for the lows and highs
is incredible. The support this family receives and the family itself is very involved and true activists. With people like them and dogs that can help relieve the family of the day to night stress of Type 1 diabetes gives great hope for the future. The book is about a young girl that is diagnosed with diabetes and does clinical trials to help with on going research. They received a dog that has been trained to be able to alarm the owner. The girl is trained to be responsible for the care of the dog and it goes with her to school, dance class and sleeps with her. Our granddaughter was diagnosed at the same age in the same way this girl was. It would be a great asset if she had a dog to awake her in the night.
April 26, 2019
Really 3 1/2 stars.
This book gives you an insight of what it’s like to be a child and her family and deal with this relentless disease. God bless the children.
I was so surprised thatThis book gives you an insight of what it’s like to be a child and her family and deal with this relentless disease. God bless the children.
I was so surprised that Mom did not believe in the canine’s ability to do miraculous things for so long. Where is she been in the last 10, even 20, years? It could’ve been that Mom just didn’t want to let go of that dependence. I’ve seen it before. That is probably the answer because ...look at how she trusted no one, not even her husband, to you do as well as her.
There is a reason why God spelled backwards is dog.
This book gives you an insight of what it’s like to be a child and her family and deal with this relentless disease. God bless the children.
I was so surprised thatThis book gives you an insight of what it’s like to be a child and her family and deal with this relentless disease. God bless the children.
I was so surprised that Mom did not believe in the canine’s ability to do miraculous things for so long. Where is she been in the last 10, even 20, years? It could’ve been that Mom just didn’t want to let go of that dependence. I’ve seen it before. That is probably the answer because ...look at how she trusted no one, not even her husband, to you do as well as her.
There is a reason why God spelled backwards is dog.
October 23, 2023
I really wanted to like this book. I had some issues though. First, the title is misleading. I got this as an audiobook and gave up at the 48% mark. Other than a brief mention in the intro, the dog was still yet to be mentioned and was not with the family yet. This is really the story of the family, not the girl and the dog. Second, I found this book to be overly political. The writer’s constant whining about the Bush-era ban on human stem cell research is exhausting, and was ultimately a factor in why I quit the book. She did not merely mention the ban, she harped on it repeatedly as if it were a personal offense committed against her.
April 19, 2019
A book I surely won't regret. As a girlfriend of a type two diabetic. I longed to learn more about him. And this disease, surely, they are not the same. But, symptoms and day to day grinds are. I have learned so much and am longing for more information. But, more importantly, I am fascinated with how this book has left me hopeful and amazed in Elle's determination to be a wonderful human and not let diabetes determine her fate. I absolutely loved this book.
September 28, 2019
I liked this book and learned a great deal about diabetes in the process. I am amazed at the skill of a trained service dog and appreciated Stefany's transformation from skeptic doubter to believer in Coach's ability. An easy enjoyable read that can be of interest for many different reasons: mother daughter relationships, inspiration to overcome or heart warming service animal story. My 12-year-old granddaughter also read this book.
April 7, 2021
Motivated to read this because of our granddaughter's diagnosis of diabetes at 14 months. Gave me a better picture of what their family goes through to manage diabetes. It is all time consuming. Excellently written and not too technical for the lay reader. Also talks about the impact that a diabetic alert dog made for this family. Our granddaughter is on the list, but can't get one until she is 5. If you know a family who deals with this, it's a great inroad to understanding.
May 8, 2024
Amazing one sitting read that you will need tissues for and a megaphone to cheer Mom Stefany as she supports her daughter navigating Type I diabetes with fortitude and honesty. Will add this to our MS library as it is so accessible and informative. Here’s hoping that an artificial pancreas is on the horizon as well as better systems of delivering insulin until that pancreas is available. Read this and gift it to anyone you know coping with diabetes.
March 24, 2018
If this book had not been a gift from some New Hampshire friends who knew the story of Elle, I never would have read it. But as a supportive friend to someone whose daughter has T1D, I'm so glad I did.
Diabetes is an illness that needs to go away. I hope I live long enough to celebrate that. Meanwhile more folks can benefit from Elle's story which is so hopeful and full of inspiration.
Diabetes is an illness that needs to go away. I hope I live long enough to celebrate that. Meanwhile more folks can benefit from Elle's story which is so hopeful and full of inspiration.
May 6, 2019
This book opened my eyes to the difficult challenges that face a family with a child's diagnoses of Type 1 Diabetes. The author, Elle's mother, relates the struggles and altering changes that have to be addressed, affecting the whole family. If you're a lover of dogs, Coach will warm your heart as he joins the family and changes everything in Elle's battle with diabetes.
January 30, 2024
Fantastic book. Recommend this book! The information given in the book about Type 1 Diabetes was very good, but the story of the main character's Diabetes service dog was even better. Although the subject of diabetes is not a "feel good" subject... the story of triumph was great in this true story.
October 15, 2024
I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for years. It has not been available as an audiobook from my library so now I join audible and finally got to listen to it after 47 years of Diabetes it was. Melancholy for me to look back on my own experiences as a child so long ago thank you so much for sharing your experiences with one diabetes.
September 20, 2025
Written for adults about a parent with a child that has Type 1 Diabetes.
I loved this book. It was very informative, a quick read, that I read over just a few days.
I learned a lot about T1D, and the impact that a diabetic alert dog made for this family was eye opening. If you know someone with T1D or maybe just a dog lover...this book is a must read.
I loved this book. It was very informative, a quick read, that I read over just a few days.
I learned a lot about T1D, and the impact that a diabetic alert dog made for this family was eye opening. If you know someone with T1D or maybe just a dog lover...this book is a must read.
September 28, 2017
This was a GREAT book!! I never fully appreciated what families with diabetes go through!! This book gave me such a better understanding, and it was a book that I just enjoyed reading!! Highly recommend it!
July 2, 2022
This was a great change of pace.
Easy read filled with fun stories that brought me to a watery eyed state many times.
I was on vacation while reading it and it made me miss my chocolate lab tremendously.
Easy read filled with fun stories that brought me to a watery eyed state many times.
I was on vacation while reading it and it made me miss my chocolate lab tremendously.
May 20, 2017
If I could give this book 10 stars...I would!!! what a great read and very informative. So we'll written..had it finished in 3 days.
July 25, 2017
Why
This is a remarkable book I enjoyed a lot I know I heard of dogs for Epilepsy but not diabetics .Amust read
This is a remarkable book I enjoyed a lot I know I heard of dogs for Epilepsy but not diabetics .Amust read
August 18, 2019
Heartwarming, informative and inspiring! Everyone should read it to see what the life of a type 1 diabetic and their family is like.
March 11, 2020
Absolutely loved this! Diabetes definitely sucks but dogs are AMAZING! Dogs are so much more than pets.
July 22, 2020
Loved this book! It really shows how much of a difference a dog can make in a person's life!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews