(Courtesy Photo)
By Ashley Pereyra
Reporter
The unthinkable happened to Dr. Lai Ling Ngan, an associate professor of Christian Scriptures, on Feb. 22, 2012. She crashed and totaled her car after passing out from low glucose levels.
It was the final factor for her to decide to get a diabetic alert dog, according to Ruth Byran, a George W. Truett Theological Seminary student.
Last fall, Truett students and alumni came together to help raise money for the dog. Through fundraising and donations, they have raised $14,000 of the $27,000 necessary for the purchase of the dog.
Ngan’s dog, whose name is Cedric, has already been picked. He will come from Brooks Labradors, a family business, located in Dallas. The Brooks family breeds and trains service dogs. The dogs are physically certified through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and their eyes are thoroughly examined by veterinarians participating in the Canine Eye Registration Foundation.
“I just think it is wonderful how the Truett community has rallied,” Dr. Michael W. Stroope, associate professor & holder of The M.C. Shook Chair of Christian Missions, said. “It speaks well of our community and how we pull for each other. It is typical of Truett.”
Preparations for a benefit chili cook-off began last October. The benefit will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Seventh and James Baptist Church.
Baylor professors, eight local churches, Baylor athletics and local businesses like World Cup Café came forward and donated their time and money toward the benefit. The benefit will host a silent auction that will include a wide variety of items and services like gift cards, a home Total Gym, babysitting and preparation of a simple will.
Tickets to eat are $10 with a family cap at $30 and can be purchased at the door. Cook-off registration forms and entrance fees are $25, and it includes two tickets to the meal and auction. They are due today at the Seventh and James Baptist Church. For registration forms or to donate online, visit https://paws4ngan.wordpress.com/.
Diagnosed with Type I Diabetes in 1999, Ngan has not let it stop her. She has continued to be very physically active.
“She lives a very active lifestyle. She rock climbs. Like in the SLC, she takes student groups over there often. But because she is so active the sensors won’t work for her,” Bryan said. “She has an insulin pump but it doesn’t work — it doesn’t detect her glucose levels changing in time for her to take medicine to fix it.”
Ngan is also well known for her compassion and hardline teaching of the Old Testament, according to Bryan.
“Her philosophy is generally that if you go to medical school, you’re working with people’s health and people’s bodies. So you have to study hard because there is a lot at stake,” Zach Helton, a seminary student, said. “So how much [more] so if you’re dealing with their minds and spiritually, do you need to study? She treats it as if it was a medical school class. She’ll ask you the most obscure things that you can imagine just to be sure you know what you’re talking about.”
