Meet Our 36th Annual Boston Gala Honorees—Rebecca and Bill Power
Our family first “learned” about type 1 diabetes (T1D) when our niece, Casey McNamara, was diagnosed in 2005 at the age of four. Like most people, we witnessed T1D from a distance; the finger pricks, needle sticks, and daily concern of her parents. We never fully realized the impact this disease has on the entire family until September 8, 2012, the day when we began “living” with T1D.
That morning Cameron, our vivacious 16-month-old toddler, did not wake up with his twin brother as he normally did. Instead, we found him lying in his crib, limp and lethargic, without enough strength to even lift his head. We knew something was terribly wrong. Our instincts led us to believe this was more than the typical toddler cold or stomach bug. So we quickly did what any parent would do, we drove straight to Children’s Hospital. First, the attending nurses whisked Cameron into the emergency room. After a number of hours and a battery of tests, we knew Cameron’s life and our family’s lives had been permanently altered. At that moment, we too began “living” with T1D. We were taught how to inject insulin into Cameron’s little arm, measure and estimate carb counts, detect high and low blood sugars, and create a sense of balance for our family- but most importantly, for our little Cami.
Fast forward five years later and Cameron is thriving as he plays sports and participates in countless activities like all the other little boys. Despite his growing independence, T1D always lingers and operates in the background. He has grown accustomed to the dozens of interruptions each day to safeguard against, and check that his blood sugars are not too high and not too low. In a sense, T1D has forced Cameron to grow up, and in some cases, become “pre-med” at the age of six. Each day we are amazed at the student he has become, and as we all know far too well, T1D is not an easy subject.
Our family, your family, and so many others, need a cure! Breakthrough T1D is the leading global organization funding T1D research, and they accelerate the search for life-changing breakthroughs. We are committed to working with Breakthrough T1D and believe that they are helping to bring us closer to life without T1D. In 2015, Bill joined the Breakthrough T1D New England Board. We have been fortunate to meet so many incredible families who have become members of this fraternity we all wish did not exist.
Despite the daily advancements being made, our community remains without a cure. We are humbled and honored to have been chosen as this year’s Breakthrough T1D Boston Gala honorees, and our family invites you to join us on Saturday, May 12, 2018 for this truly special event.
As we recognize the highs and lows T1D presents each day, we believe the “Power of Family” provides the opportunity to surmount any and all challenges we collectively face. Our ability to Be the Momentum, Be the Progress, and Be the Cure will undoubtedly position Breakthrough T1D to ultimately cure, treat, and prevent T1D. We hope you will consider making a gift to Fund a Cure, attend the event in honor of a community we now call our extended family, and celebrate with us that Cameron does not live with type 1 diabetes, type 1 diabetes lives with Cameron.
We are so thankful for the blessings we have, the support of our family and friends, and our partnership with such a wonderful organization.
With heartfelt thanks,
Rebecca, Bill, Jess, Mike, and Cami xoxo