This month......we are 6 for 6. The month being October. The "we" being Eastern Iowa JDRF. The first 6 is the number of days our office has been open this month. The other 6 is the number of new type 1 diabetes diagnosis that have reached my desk. That's right, one new diagnosis for every day that our office has been open this month.
In most cases, 6 for 6 is a good thing. It means your operating at 100%, but in this case it is just a sad statistic in the rapidly rising number of T1D cases in the Eastern Iowa area. It is out of control and there is nothing that we can do to stop it. Or is there?
JDRF is asking the question, "Who is your reason to walk?" A few years ago, you may not have been able to answer this question. Today, with the rising number of new diagnosis, it is almost impossible to find someone without a direct connection to T1D. So who is your reason to walk?
Followers of this blog know our reason to walk. She is a cute little girl that smiles at you and makes it impossible to tell her "No". It is an innocent little girl that had her life altered at the precious age of 4. It is a little girl who learned about carbs and insulin before she learned to do simple addition and subtraction. It is a little girl who cries when we tell her that she can't have the same treats as her friends and is disappointed when she has to stop playing because her blood sugar is too low. This little girl is our Pump Princess....also know as Micheala.
I like to think of T1D as that annoying house fly in your house. It just hangs around, buzzing by your face and eventually landing on your cheek. You swat at the fly to get rid of it, but it never seems as if you are quick enough to swat it away for good. It flies away for a moment, only to land on your face again. Once again you swat, but can only claim victory for a moment. The process repeats. You look for other means to get rid of the fly. A fly swatter perhaps, but there is not one within your reach. So there you sit, feeling defeated, as this fly continues pester and interfere with what you are trying to do. A little fly that is capable of altering your mood and interfering with your life.
A crazy metaphor...I know, but think about it. T1D doesn't go away and it bothers the hell out of you. So what is the solution? How do we eliminate the fly?
All problems have a solution and with every solution, there is a call for action. JDRF is funding some of the top researchers in the world to work on three key areas in T1D (cure, treat and prevent). As we all know, money doesn't grow on trees, but it does fuel the existence of our research. As a community with neighbors, children and loved one's living with T1D, it is our call to action to make sure that the current research efforts are funded so that they may continue.
JDRF's Walk to Cure diabetes is the most popular of the JDRF events nationwide. Annually, the Walk to Cure events draw thousand upon thousands of people and raises millions upon millions of dollars for research. Do you know that nationally, 82.5% of all funds raised for and by JDRF goes directly towards research? That is just a testament to how dedicated JDRF is to finding a cure for T1D.
As a JDRF staff member, a T1D and most importantly a parent of a T1D, I ask that you please join forces with your local JDRF chapter and support the efforts in funding a cure for T1D. If you don't have a walk team, I ask that you join one or develop your own walk team. If you have a walk team, I challenge you to set your goal higher this year. If you are a local business owner, I ask that you consider sponsoring the walk. The point being is that everyone has the ability to get involved in some way, shape or form. It's just a question of whether or not you are willing.
As much as I hate to play "what if", I have allow you the opportunity to think, "What if this happen to my loved one?" Nobody wants to think of their loved one being diagnosed with a chronic illness, but wouldn't be comforting to know that during your time of stress that you had a local JDRF chapter there to support you every step of the way?
While the mission is clear at JDRF, the support offered by the local JDRF chapters is often overlooked. In our office, T1D is very personal. We have 3 of us that are T1D's ourselves and 2 of us that are parents of T1D's. I must add that we have 5 people that work for Eastern Iowa JDRF. We know what families are going through and can relate with the stress, anxiety and uncertainty that comes with a new diagnosis. We have all experienced the ups and downs of diabetes and have all reached that peak point of frustration. We have all asked the same questions that you want to ask, especially the "why me" or "why my little child". We've all been angry and we've all cried, but we have all pushed through. We are all now embracing the opportunity to make a difference in our own lives or the lives of our loved ones. We are on a mission because most of us had made PROMISES that we don't intend on breaking.
We are recruiting. Recruiting people to lock arms with the JDRF community and start making a difference. We are looking for people who have that loved one living with diabetes and just are not alright with them spending the rest of their life that way. Please join our team. Statistically, there are new diagnosis happening across the United States right now. When is this going to end? Will you help us find that answer?
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