Day 26 – Meet Jack

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My name is Jack…and I have T1D.  I am a typical 6 ½ year old boy that loves to build Lego, play soccer and lacrosse, hang out with my friends, and spend time with my family.
One month after my second birthday, on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 12:40 pm, I was diagnosed with T1D – a day my parents will never forget! We call that day “D Day or Diagnosis Day” but in actuality it is the day that I lost my “FREEDOM”.
That morning started out a little rough, I just didn’t feel like myself. I was cranky and irritable, and I just wanted juice! It was the Halloween parade at school but wanted no part of my Mets uniform costume or even school for that matter. Mom and Dad knew something was up…I loved school but not this day! Mom took me to the doctor right away, requested a blood test, and sure enough I was soaring! I felt awful…my blood sugar was so high I was off the charts. In fact the nurses and my pediatrician all tested their blood to make sure the meter was working correctly. Off to Stony Brook Children’s Hospital Pediatric ER we went! They struggled for hours to get an IV in my tiny toddler arm. Finally, they succeeded and soon the insulin IV started to work I felt like Jack again! We met a great endocrinologist who taught my parents how to take care of my diabetes. I spent several nights in the PICU and ironically I came home on Halloween Night…!
It has been over four years since that horrible day. As if that wasn’t hard enough, three years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I now wear an insulin pump 24/7 and a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor). I still have to test my blood several times a day and calculate everything I eat. I have a gluten free diet. I have to plan every meal and activity.  I have to always carry an emergency bag wherever I go. I am tired of people asking me all these questions…It is all so annoying! I just wish I had my freedom!
My mom jokes that she hasn’t slept since Oct 27th 2010…the night before D-Day…but there is some truth to that…with overnight blood tests, treating lows and correcting high blood sugars. I am very lucky to have a great doctor that helps my family care for me and I am learning how to take care of T1D. Sometimes it is just too much for a little guy to handle but I just keep thinking one day I will be free again!
Some who are unfamiliar with T1D don’t always realize that there are no breaks and no days off. Please consider making a donation to help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

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