As Sandy LaPrad and her family navigate through life and cope with the daily challenges that her daughter’s type 1 diabetes brings, they knew they were not alone.

A nurse at the Midland County Health Department, Sandy frequently encountered T1D families in the area. Seeing firsthand the need for a support group where these families can come together and share T1D knowledge, troubles and triumphs is what prompted Sandy to launch the Midland Networking Coffee Group in 2015 with the support of Breakthrough T1D.

Once a month, between October and March, Sandy invites Midland-area T1D families to the community center in town for a fun night of rock climbing and swimming for the kids, and a theme based conversation for parents including: Carb counts for Thanksgiving in November and New Year’s resolutions in January, among others.

Whether newly diagnosed, or having coped with the disease for years, families also have discussed T1D complications pertaining to sleepovers, daycare, school and more. Additionally, the group has featured guest speakers including a representative from Dexcom to discuss Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) and how it works.

To connect with a mentor who’s been there or to expand your T1D network of supporters, contact Sandy LaPrad at smlaprad@yahoo.com or (989) 837-6570 for group information.