The Diabetic Echo

A friend of mine, who has also been a diabetic for a majority of his life, just had the heart wrenching news delivered to him a few days ago. "Sir, your 3 1/2 year old daughter is a type 1 diabetic".

Another father/daughter combination now in Eastern Iowa. Another "family" of diabetics. Another Dad that has to live with the guilt of thinking that he gave his daughter Type 1 diabetes.

Of course, without question, Micheala and I went to visit he and his daughter in the hospital. Listening to him talk about the diagnosis, I couldn't help but notice that he was saying the same things I said when Micheala was diagnosed.

"I hoped she didn't have diabetes because I didn't want her to have to live with the same thing that I have lived with."

"I knew she had it when she was urinating alot and was drinking a lot."

Like most visits, I sit and listen, but with this visit, it was different. It was like I was having an out of body experience. It was like I was watching and listening to myself when Micheala was diagnosed. It was like an echo.

Echoes tend to repeat themselves until eventually you can't hear them anymore (or just go away). I hope this is true with diabetes. It has been echoing for some time now, but when will it go away? The diabetic echo continues to bounce and repeat from community to community......it's getting louder and not softer. This needs to change.

My heart goes out to my friend Doug and his daughter Gretchen. My heart goes out to their family as they now have to live with 2 diabetics. They are strong, Doug is a great father and I have no doubt in my mind that they will control their diabetes.

In regards to diabetic echoes, there is one echo that I keep trying to make louder and louder....our story. This week, we have been contacted by the Cedar Rapids Gazette and a girl wanting to write a book about JDRF families in Eastern Iowa. They want us to share our story. Ummmmm.........yes.

I believe that Micheala and I can motivate others to get involved with JDRF. I am confident. This has been a record setting fund raising year for us as we are getting close to $15,000! Much of this success is do to the fact that we have been blessed with opportunities to share our story. I am so proud of the new teams in JDRF this year. New families really stepping up and getting involved. The older teams are really knockin it out of the park and stepping up their fundraising efforts. I don't think that it will be too long and Cedar Rapids will be a million dollar walk!

So let me leave you with this final echo........the walk is in 2 weeks...still time to donate to a JDRF walk team.

Be part of something special...be part of the cure.