In May of 2022, our lives changed forever when our daughter, Isabel, was admitted to Our Lady of the Lake hospital and diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Much to her frustration, she had to miss gymnastics that day. I wish missing gymnastics had been the biggest worry we faced then, and in the days that followed. That first week in the hospital feels like forever ago. Our 5-year-old baby girl has grown into a mature, and much too responsible, 10-year-old.
Her daily life looks regular in many ways, but the challenges she faces make every day more taxing: monitoring her blood sugar all day, treating highs, counting carbs with incredible mental math, making sure her Dexcom and Omnipod are working and don’t get knocked off while she plays (or does gymnastics), waking in the middle of the night for lows, enduring site changes that leave marks, and feeling embarrassed when her phone goes off in the middle of class. Yet through most of these frustrations, you will find our girl with her sunshine smile and positive attitude. Isabel and all the other Type 1 Warriors inspire us to live with more gratitude and to relentlessly pursue a cure.
In the years since Isabel’s diagnosis, there has been incredible progress, both in day-to-day management and in hope for a cure. Watching her change her own Dexcom and Omnipod, sync them, and dose for a meal independently still leaves me awestruck at her bravery. Breakthrough T1D is at the forefront of funding the research and technology that bring us closer to a cure, and we are hopeful that Isabel will see one in her lifetime.
We are honored to serve as the Fund a Cure Family for the Breakthrough T1D Gala on March 20, 2027, at the Renaissance Hotel in Baton Rouge. Your donation supports research and advocacy for those living with type 1 diabetes and is tax deductible. We hope you will join us in reaching our fundraising goal through sponsorship or a gift of any size. We would also love to see you at the Gala as we celebrate those living with T1D and raise money to fund a cure.
Patrick and I are so humbled and grateful to each of you who has walked this challenging path with us. Your love for Isabel and our family has sustained us through some of our most difficult seasons. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
To make a donation in honor of the Engemann Family, please visit: https://www.breakthrought1d.org/louisiana/events/engemann/
With love and gratitude, The Engemanns
