I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 18 months ago, and I am learning how to deal with it each day.

For the past two summers, I have gone to this cool sleep away camp in the Pocono Mountains, called ISTC. For this summer, I’ve been told it will be more difficult for me to attend because now I use an insulin pump, and the nurse there does not know how to work one. I will have to know how to count ALL the carbohydrates that I eat on my own. And, since my pump site needs to be changed every 2-3 days, and the camp is for six days, I’ve been told that I will have to change my site on my own without help. As someone new to the pump, I am still not comfortable changing my own site. With all the stress of managing my diabetes by myself at camp this summer, I have decided not to go, and I know I will miss that a lot.

I also play lacrosse, and T1D is a huge burden on me during games. Soon after I was diagnosed, I played in a game and had to get off the field every half hour to check my blood sugar. T1D affects my life every day with everything I do, so I can’t wait for the day we find a cure.

Please consider making a Fund A Cure donation in honor of Eric and others living with T1D by clicking here.