For the first time in her life, Amelia Esteves soon won’t have her parents’ alarm clocks to rely on.

The 17-year-old student at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the fifth grade, has counted on her mom and dad “to make sure my blood sugar is good before I go to sleep.”

“I live with my parents and they have three alarms that they’re good about waking up to. And I’m not yet,” she said.

So the thought of living by herself when she goes off to college makes her feel uneasy.

Luckily, there is a solution in nearby Concord. Early Alert Canines, an organization that pairs dogs trained to detect dangerously low blood-sugar levels with people suffering from diabetes, like Amelia.

Carol Edwards, the organization’s executive director, said the dogs go through a rigorous 18-month training program to get certified to detect dangerous blood sugar levels in humans. Because dogs use about 40% of their brain for recognizing scents, they are the perfect candidates for the job.

Amelia will soon be paired with a furry companion of her own and she said she will welcome the new dog with open arms.

“I think everyone’s goal is to be independent and successful. But for me and other diabetics we have the extra worry of just being able to just stay safe and stay alive,” Esteves said. “Being able to have a dog that can help me with that, that’s also a companion and also a friend that can keep me safe and alive without me having to worry, is great.”