In spring of 2018, something was not right with our youngest daughter. She was over-tired, losing weight, drinking crazy amounts of water (yet was always thirsty) and no longer wanted to participate in her usual after school activities. I brought her to her pediatrician, had quick finger stick to assess her blood sugar levels and urine test to assess protein levels. Within minutes the Doctor told me: ’Take Rebecca to the Emergency Room now. She has Type 1 Diabetes. She’ll be okay. You’ll be okay - but everything is going to be different from this moment forward. You don’t know about T1D now but just go, staff at the hospital will teach you’. Through our fears and tears we took our seven year old daughter to the ER. Over the two day hospital stay we were taught about managing life with Type 1 Diabetes and the enormous impact that her diagnosis was going to have on her and our family.

Meet Rebecca…she is now 9 years old and a T1D warrior!! She is facing her Type 1 Diabetes journey with strength, bravery and a desire to teach others about T1D. Despite having to constantly monitor her blood-sugar level, administer insulin and carefully balance these insulin doses with her eating and activity just to stay alive, she never slows down.  She loves playing on her travel soccer team, swimming, school and reading.  

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that impairs the body’s ability to use food properly. The hormone insulin, which is produced in the pancreas, helps the body to convert food into energy. In people with diabetes, either the pancreas doesn’t make insulin (type 1) or the body cannot use insulin properly (type 2). Without insulin, glucose - the body’s main energy source - builds up in the blood.

Type 1 Diabetes is not contagious. It is NOT a lifestyle disease brought on by eating too much sugar, being too sedentary or other stereotypes often associated type 2 diabetes. T1D can run in families (didn’t in ours) but is not necessarily hereditary. Researchers are still studying how and why T1D occurs in certain children and families.

With T1D there are NO days (or nights) off.  The disease is relentless, even when we follow all the “rules” diabetes management and rely on the available technology, good results are not guaranteed. We know we aren't alone. Millions of families like ours are living with the daily burdens of this disease. Diagnosed cases are increasing at an alarming rate in both children and adults; the price of insulin has nearly tripled in the past year; and insurance loopholes impact affordability and limit access to quality care.

 JDRF is the leading organization funding research for life-changing breakthroughs to make it safer and easier to live with Type 1 Diabetes. JDRF advocates on behalf of all of these T1D families to help secure continued Federal funding for important diabetes research and inform health and regulatory policy. Collaborating with academic institutions, policymakers and corporate industry partners, JDRF's vision is clear: a world without type 1. JDRF is on our side fighting for a CURE. This is why we are honored to be the FUND A CURE family this year and we need your support. Our goal is to raise $50,000 – 100% of which goes directly to research. Life changing breakthroughs in type 1 therapies are taking place and a CURE is on the horizon. Please join us and make a Fund a Cure donation to JDRF today by clicking on the donate button. 

Thank you for caring, 

Mindy and Gus Giraldo