A planned road trip bound for Colorado lead to the moment that would change Jessica (Jess) Halik’s life.

“I was starting my senior year of high school and was going to take the trip with my older sister back to her college,” remembered Jess. “I joked with my mom that my sister was going to kill me on the trip because I was going to make her stop so many times so I could use the bathroom.”

In jest, her mother had told her maybe if she didn’t drink so much, she wouldn’t have to go to the bathroom so often. Jess tried this for a couple of days with no new results. When Jess told her mother that it wasn’t working, her mom knew something was wrong and made the doctor’s appointment that confirmed her diagnosis. Because diabetes did not run in their family, they never thought it could be the cause.

When Jess went to see her doctor, a blood test revealed an elevated blood sugar level, approximately 550 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter, normal levels are less than 140 mg/dL). She received her diagnosis at 16.

“When Jess was diagnosed, she had three different kinds of insulin, and she’d have to mix them, take a certain amount, and then eat carbs to make up the difference,” said her sister Dana. “It was so hard to watch her try to balance her levels, and I could barely watch her give herself shots. I remember thinking how brave she was and how I would never be able to handle what she was going through.”

It was a year later when Dana, at 20, would receive her type one diabetes diagnosis. Because of Jess’ T1D status, Dana’s doctor regularly screened her. One of those blood tests came back at 199 mg/dL.

Jess, now 28, and Dana, 30, admit they both are still afraid of needles and though they live together in Clawson, neither can watch the other give herself an injection. But the sisters know, shots are a “sink or swim situation” and have made it a part of their lives.

“I’m afraid of needles,” said Dana. “Jess had to give me my first shot, and she was so nervous, I ended up with a big bruise on my thigh.”

“We had to change everything,” said Jess. “It was hard to fit in and be normal with how much type one affects your life.”

Looking back, Dana thought it was especially difficult being diagnosed as an adult because she had already established many of her habits and being in college, her life wasn’t regimented. She didn’t have anyone to watch over her diet. Her eating schedule was erratic. And when she turned 21, it was difficult to navigate the effects alcohol had on her blood sugar.

“You want so very much to be normal and have a drink with your friends. For a while, I thought, ‘If I ignore it, it will go away.’ It doesn’t,” remarked Dana.

“It was so inspiring and overwhelming to see a room full of people, all of them touched in some way by diabetes, eagerly raising their hands to contribute funds to find a cure.”

Wanting to be part of the support systems for other young people who have type one, Jess and Dana joined their mom in her involvement with Breakthrough T1D over the years, attending their first Promise Ball in 2014.

“I was blown away! It was so inspiring and overwhelming to see a room full of people, all of them touched in some way by diabetes, eagerly raising their hands to contribute funds to find a cure,” said Dana.

Both Jess and Dana will be part of the program for the 30th Annual Promise Ball on Friday, May 1, 2015, supporting Fund A Cure. Fund A Cure is an “auction of passion” following the live auction of the evening.

Though ticket purchases closed on April 24, donations can still be made online for Fund A Cure. Donations to Fund A Cure are 100 percent tax deductible, and all proceeds help accelerate progress toward improving lives and curing T1D, turning Type One into Type None. To make your donation, click here.