Please join Team WHATEVER, and the Berliner and Collins Families, once again, in the JDRF “One Walk” to Cure Type 1 Diabetes on Sunday, October 8, 2017 on the Avon Boardwalk.
Over the past four years, your generosity has allowed our team to contribute over $60,000 to fund research for the cure. Thank you!! The weather for last year’s walk was less than perfect, but we were honored and so grateful to spend the morning with friends, teachers, nurses, and family, who were literally willing to do “whatever it takes” to support Kieran (10, Ranney ‘25), Lindsay (11, Ranney ‘24), and Ryan (Ranney ‘19).
We are so close to a cure. Last September, the FDA approved the first Artificial Pancreas System. These systems combine an insulin pump, continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and smart software to automate the delivery of insulin. The result is stable blood glucose levels in a normal range of 90 to 120…in contrast to the CGM reading to the left (our current reality) showing a daily glucose range fluctuating between 45 and 300+. Artificial Pancreas Systems will soon be available to our children, and this is just one significant advance on the horizon, all thanks to your support of JDRF’s quest to help those living with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) live healthier, easier, and safer lives until we find a cure.
Lindsay and Kieran share below a bit about their experience living with T1D…
KIERAN: So…I have Type 1 diabetes, if you didn’t know. People always ask what’s on my back or why I am beeping. It’s hard explaining what Type 1 diabetes is. My friends know I am ok. My best friends even know what the different beeps mean and watch out for me. The hardest part about diabetes is when my blood sugar is really high or really low. When my blood sugar is above 400, there is pretty much a 90% chance I will start throwing up in about 30 minutes. Being low isn’t good either. Usually I just feel tired, but if I don’t watch out, I could fall asleep, which can lead to a coma. Luckily, my mom and dad are always watching out for me so I don’t have to worry about it too much. Sometimes you just want to be a kid and not worry about stopping to test or wondering if I need a snack or more insulin. I am going to explain to you why it’s so important to support this cause. I am very lucky that I have Type 1 and not something else. Type 1 is easier to manage than many other diseases, but regardless we’re so close to finding a cure. That’s another reason why I’m so lucky. It would be very kind of you to donate, and help all of those people that have Type 1, including me, Lindsay, and Ryan.
LINDSAY:
When people see me, they may think that I look completely fine. I act like any normal 11-year-old, however if you look at what it is like living with Type 1, you would see a different picture. My diabetes doesn’t take any time off. Even while I am sleeping my parents have to watch my blood sugar levels. There are times during the day that I need to stop whatever I am doing to prick my finger and test my blood sugar, this could be in the middle of fun activity like dance. No two days are alike. I can eat the same foods or do the exact same things and my blood sugar numbers will be totally different. It is hard for me to talk about the sad times dealing with my diabetes. On our summer trip to Cape Cod, my insulin pump got unknowingly disconnected for a few hours after dinner. My blood sugar went up to over 400. I was so sick, I felt like I was going to throw up and I could barely talk. It was scary because the nearest hospital was 45 minutes away. Thank you for all your support. I am hopeful that there will soon be a cure. I have already seen many advancements on how I manage my diabetes since I was diagnosed at 6 years old. It really makes a difference. I like to say that me and my fellow diabetics are fighters and nothing can stop us.
Research to support a cure for diabetes will help both those with Type 1 and Type 2. There are 3 million individuals with Type 1 in the U.S.; there are 29 million individuals with Type 2 (over 9% of the population in the U.S.).
To help us find a cure for T1D, please consider making a donation to JDRF, joining our team, or both! We would love to have you with us in person or in spirit! Also know, we are committed to this cause until there is a cure…please don’t feel obligated to donate every year.
JDRF “ONE Walk”
Sunday, October 8, 2017, Avon-by-the-Sea Boardwalk
Registration at 9 am / Walk begins at 10 am
You can donate or join the team by going to our team page: http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/WHATEVER,
Why Team WHATEVER? Because we will do whatever it takes to keep Lindsay, Kieran, and Ryan healthy, and together, we will do whatever it takes to find a cure for T1D.
THANK YOU FOR BEING ON OUR TEAM!
The Collins and Berliner Families