It started with a few weeks of odd symptoms. Looking back they were text book, of course. When I took her to our pediatrician they almost immediately sent us to INOVA Fairfax emergency. Her glucose was 560 and she was in DKA. Our daughter Josie was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes on October 10, 2010 at the age of five. As anyone who has been through this diagnosis knows, it was an extremely overwhelming and emotional experience. Daunting was our four day stay at the hospital.

In the weeks following, I’m sure we received information on Breakthrough T1D along with many other packets of information. But the first time Breakthrough T1D really became known to us was at one of our first support group meetings, Type 1 Friends, where we met Delia Whitfield, Outreach Manager at the Breakthrough T1D Capitol Chapter. She so graciously shared her experiences with us. She provided us with a whole new perspective on diabetes, and for parents of a newly diagnosed five year old, we needed to hear it – the hope and encouragement that everything will be ok.

Over the past three years I’ve participated in and helped with numerous events including the Breakthrough T1D Walk to Cure Diabetes in Leesburg, our annual Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes at Josie’s elementary school, and Moe’s Free Burrito Night in Leesburg. Additionally, this year, I’m stretching my involvement (and my legs) in March by joining Team Breakthrough T1D in the Shamrock Anthem Half-Marathon in Virginia Beach (For more information on the half-marathon, here is the Team Breakthrough T1D page and my personal page).

My role as a volunteer may be like an ambassador and an educator of type-1 diabetes for those not directly connected to the disease. Reaching out to family, friends, and acquaintances in our fundraising efforts has allowed us an opportunity to educate others on the intricacies of this disease and what it’s like to live hour-by-hour and day-by-day managing blood sugars of our daughter.

Volunteering for Breakthrough T1D provides a direct connection to improving all lives impacted by this terrible disease. I feel as though my personal contributions and efforts help provide hope that one day my husband and I won’t have to think like a pancreas, prick another little finger, calculate carbohydrate to insulin ratios, or even give our daughter one more shot. We hope that one day, with the help of Breakthrough T1D, we will be able to sleep comfortably through the night knowing that the missing link to proper glucose functioning in our daughter has been restored.

Daunting is a lifetime of care and treatment but we’ve learned a few good nuggets these past two years. We’ve learned that kids are super resilient, taking one day at a time is a primary survival technique, and squeezable yogurts are perfect for those middle of the night checks when you discover she’s gone too low. Although we have adjusted to our ‘new normal’ we will not rest until we can help prevent, better treat, and cure type-1 diabetes.