Becky Bloom works as a teacher at The Park School, an independent, progressive K-12 school in Baltimore, MD, and is a mother living with type one diabetes (T1D) for the past 14 years. At The Park School, there are seven students who also have T1D, two of them being Becky’s students.

“Wyatt Rhodes, one of my students, was diagnosed at 4 years old. He was getting tired of the constant questions and myths that he heard around school about Type One, so he decided to host an assembly to educate all of our students.” After the presentation, Wyatt would receive high fives and words of encouragement from other students who had a new found respect for their classmate.

However, it wasn’t long after that Zach Zooker, another of Becky’s students who helped in the presentation, started to experience symptoms of T1D. According to Lauren Zooker, Zach’s mother, on the Becky’s Bloooms team page, “Just weeks after the presentation, we noticed Zachary drinking more water than usual over a two day period.  He had not been sick and had no other symptoms. It seemed a little strange and we assumed we were health care providers reading too much into things.  However, we contacted Zachary’s pediatrician to be safe. After all, we live a healthy, active, organic, hormone-free lifestyle. With only one symptom and no previous illness, we assumed we were overreacting. It took only seconds in the exam room for our lives to change forever, as our beautiful little boy was given the diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.”

Wyatt’s parents, Tim and Dell Rhodes, were driven by their family’s daily struggle against T1D to start the One Walk team Becky’s Blooms, as a surprise to honor their son’s teacher. The Zookers were soon added into the fold. “I’ve really been thrilled by their kindness,” said Becky, “There has just been an outpouring of support for both Wyatt and Zach from their friends, family, classmates and the surrounding community.”

Team Becky’s Blooms has now raised $6,610 and counting towards T1D research heading into the Breakthrough T1D One Walk in Baltimore on May 14th.

“I can only imagine what it would be like to have a child with T1D. It would make me sick with worry. This disease can make you feel so alone, and Wyatt and Zach’s parents have been so supportive of them. It helps that they have such a sense of camaraderie between them. They call each other their Diabuddies,” said Becky.

Together with amazing members of our community like Wyatt, Zach and Becky, the Breakthrough T1D Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Chapter hopes to raise over $1.5 million for T1D research at our three One Walks this Spring.

For information or to register for the One Walks hosted by the Breakthrough T1D Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Chapter, please visit the links below.

Breakthrough T1D One Walk Baltimore, Sunday, May 14th: https://bit.ly/2hpOfU4
Breakthrough T1D One Walk VA, Sunday, May 21st: https://bit.ly/2hCt41v
Breakthrough T1D One Walk DC, Sunday, June 4th: https://bit.ly/2hAUMcD