Describe your history with type 1 diabetes & your relationship with Breakthrough T1D.
Our daughter Courtney was diagnosed with T1D in October 2012. We will always remember that surreal moment when the ER doctor came into the room and said “Her blood sugar is 580, which indicates diabetes.” She was seven years old and a star player on her soccer team. How could this be? We had just returned a few weeks earlier from our first family trip to Disney World where she was fine. This couldn’t be right! After the nurse came in and gave Courtney what would be her first dose of insulin we knew this was not only real, but life changing.

Our lives would never be the same from that moment forward.

Courtney dealt with everything with an enormous amount of maturity, and it was truly amazing how brave she was, and still is each and every day.

A few days after returning home from the hospital I received a phone call from a Breakthrough T1D parent mentor. She explained that she too was the parent of a child with T1D, a daughter close to Courtney’s age. Her warmth and comfort over the phone made us understand we were not alone in this journey. The next morning, we went online to check out the Breakthrough T1D website and called the Washington, DC office that day to learn how we could get involved.

What would you say to someone to get them involved in the Kids Walk program and/or Breakthrough T1D?
Breakthrough T1D offers so much to everyone affected by T1D. They have so many resources, programs, and events for not only diabetics, but their caregivers, families and friends. The Kids Walk is not just a walk, it is a full education program that teaches kids about diabetes and how it affects someone who has been diagnosed. Breakthrough T1D helps with the planning for the walk every step of the way, so the Kids Walk is truly a joint effort.

Breakthrough T1D uses all types of materials in their education piece from videos featuring kids with T1D, to interactive presentations with a Breakthrough T1D staff member or a key volunteer. They also provide the school with all the messaging and handouts necessary to promote the walk. The children come away with an understanding that diabetes is a very serious disease and they want to do what they can to help find a cure.

Once you become involved with Breakthrough T1D you will quickly learn that the staff is made up of people who really care. The majority of the staff has a personal connection – themselves or a family member. They are here to help and make a difference, and it comes through in every interaction you have with them, whether it’s at an event or simply an email.

What has been your most memorable Kids Walk experience? Why?
Last year, our Kids Walk day was approaching with a forecast of rain, not just a little rain, but an all day long soaking rain – unfortunately, for us the weatherman was right! We arrived early that wet morning at the school to find the PE teachers busy at work setting up video and audio equipment. They came up with a plan for the students to do Zumba for Kids in lieu of the walk outside. It was a very well received substitution. The kids absolutely loved it!

Tell us about your other volunteer and fundraising efforts.
Breakthrough T1D is such an awesome organization, and if getting involved meant that we will be that much closer to a cure – then without question, we will do whatever it takes to help in that effort. We decided to jump right in and register for the Breakthrough T1D One Walk in Leesburg, Virginia after only being diagnosed seven months earlier. That first walk was so moving for all of us. Courtney had so many friends and their families come out to join her it was truly a special day! Our walk team continues to grow each year, and this past spring (our 3rd year) we had a total of 52 team members and raised over $12,000 to become one of the top teams!

After our success with that first Breakthrough T1D One Walk, we wanted to know what else we could do to help. Courtney’s school community at Mill Run had been so supportive, we thought that a Breakthrough T1D Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes would be a perfect fit. We presented our request asking Mill Run to host a Kids Walk we were greeted with an enthusiastic YES!

We have raised about $25,000 for Breakthrough T1D in three years by participating in these walks. This experience has taught Courtney how important it is for her to be an advocate for Breakthrough T1D and more importantly, it has shown her how she can make a difference.

Interested in the Breakthrough T1D Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes program, or have any questions?
Please contact Alex Ade at aade@BreakthroughT1D.org or 443-792-4232 for more information!