Friday, September 9, 2022, a day that will be forever remembered for our family. Our daughter, Caroline, had just recently turned four years old. She was starting pre-k part time and was full of spunk and life. She had not had issues with nighttime bedwetting for some time, yet suddenly was having large accidents at night, as well as waking up to drink lots of water. At first, we were not too concerned, after the PCP thought it could be that she wasn’t drinking enough water during school and was making up for it in the evening (leading to increased urine at night).

However, we soon learned she had started having similar issues at school during the day, and that was when we became alarmed. I, Jeff, had no idea what it could be, but my wife, Anna, being a nurse, said those were symptoms of type 1 diabetes (T1D). “No, it can’t be that”, I thought. We made an urgent appointment with her doctor the next day, and they brought her in for a test to check for ketones in her urine. When the doctor came back into the room with the results, I could tell by the look on her face it was bad news. My heart sank as I listened to the doctor describe that Caroline had a high ketone count, and we would need to get to Maine Medical Emergency Center as soon as possible for more testing and confirmation of T1D. Thankfully, we caught it early, right on the line before diabetic ketoacidosis, so we only spent about four hours in the ER before getting set up in our own room at Barbara Bush Hospital’s Pediatric Wing. Then, the learning marathon began.

From learning all the different diabetes terminology, to the shots and finger pricks, to experiencing Caroline’s initial terror of all the needles, it was a tumultuous whirlwind of emotions. We were completely overwhelmed with this life changing diagnosis, overcome with grief and fears at the same time. Which is why we were so thankful for all the support and care we received from the hospital staff during this transition time. They helped ease the overwhelment, encouraged us, and explained to us that it is possible to live a long and normal life with T1D. We were also very appreciative of our friends and family who stepped up to help take care of our other two daughters and our animals at home. Two days later, we were sent home with a new reality of living in the world of T1D.

Now, almost two years later, some days are still difficult, but we are in a much better place. We have learned how resilient and strong young children diagnosed with a chronic disease can be. We have seen and learned the importance of leaning on family and friends through hard times and what a gift it is to have their support. We are incredibly thankful for the opportunities we have had to meet other T1D families, groups, and organizations who truly understand what it is like living day-to-day with this disease and who devote so much time and energy into helping find a cure. The conferences and events we have attended have been deeply beneficial and worthwhile!

We first heard about JDRF from our stay at the hospital. We went online, ordered our Rufus, the Bear with Diabetes kit and started learning more about the organization. There was a great variety of eye opening facts and helpful tips that we read and discovered about JDRF, as well as many wonderful opportunities and ways we could get connected to and involved with them in the T1D community. The highlight of our first year living with T1D was easily the JDRF One Walk we participated in with our team “4SweetCaroline” last September! Not only did we get to raise money to further support research towards a cure, but we also got to spread awareness, empower our sweet Caroline and meet a lot of great people along the way!

When you live with a child with T1D, it can often feel like you’re alone and no one else truly understands what you’re going through. So far in our journey, we have learned that we are not alone and there are many other families out there going through the same thing…and they are just a phone call or a click away. Get involved, spread awareness, and don’t hesitate to reach out to the T1D community if you need help or support!

Stay T1D strong,
Jeff & Anna Cardoza