Taking Strides to Turn Type One Into Type None

I'm participating in JDRF One Walk? to raise money to transform the lives of the millions of people living with type 1 diabetes. The battle against Type One Diabetes (T1D) is extremely personal for me. I was diagnosed with T1D at 13 years old. Since then, I’ve battled, struggled and, luckily, survived. This past year it became clear how extremely critical it is for me to get involved when I saw the effects of my disease through the eyes of my 15 year old daughter, Belle. Diabetes has always been a part of her life through me, and I’ve always taken the stance that knowledge is power. I just didn’t realize how important that knowledge would be. On August 31, 2017, Belle went into my bedroom and noticed my alarm clock going off, and me not moving. I was unconscious and completely non-responsive. Being the smart child she is, she checked my insulin pump, then checked my blood sugars – I was at 35 and dangerously low. Belle called 911 and by the time the paramedics arrived, I had dropped so low that my sugars no longer registered on the glucometer. Thanks to Belle, and her quick thinking, I am able to write this missive. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t end there. Two weeks later, Belle heard me in the kitchen and found me on the floor. I was conscious, but barely. She was able to force feed me juice and bring my sugars back up to a safe level. Twice in two weeks my child had to step up and, by doing so, save my life. After the second incident, she had a “mom talk” with me. She told me that we couldn’t keep doing this, and that I needed to fix it.I needed to change and I needed to fight because she was not ready for me to die. As a parent, there is nothing more sobering than hearing your child tell you that they’re not ready for you to die.

As a direct result of that “mom talk”, I have been working closely with my doctors on my health, and I’ve become involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to help fund critical research that will hopefully make this journey easier. It is an exciting time in the world of T1D as we are the cusp of incredible breakthroughs from insulins that help your own cells to function, to closed loop systems that work as an artificial pancreas, to transplants that allow recipients to live T1D free for nearly two years. We won’t get there without funding, though. So I am asking for your help. Please consider sponsoring me for the Milwaukee JDRF OneWalk or, even better, join me in the walk at Greenfield Park on September 15 as a member of JB’s Type Threes. Type three is a term I have heard to describe the supporters of those with diabetes since diabetes doesn’t just affect the patient, it affects their entire circle – and I couldn’t do this without my circle.  

When you have T1D, your body stops producing insulin—a hormone essential to turning food into energy. Even with the most vigilant disease management, a significant portion of your day will be spent with high or low blood-sugar levels, which can lead to unpleasant short-term side effects and even long-term complications like kidney failure, heart attack and blindness.

With T1D there are no days off and there is no cure. But there is hope.

You’re part of that hope. By donating you can support life-changing research that helps people with T1D live healthier and longer, until a cure is found.

Your support makes it all possible.

Thank you.