In this series you’ll meet our dedicated Family Team coaches, all of whom are volunteers driven by one, unified goal: to find a cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D).

The role of a Breakthrough T1D One Walk Family Team volunteer coach is to provide stewardship, motivation and cultivation to connect families to Breakthrough T1D’s mission. Our coaches work with the Family Team Chair to make calls to One Walk family teams to thank them, cheer them on and help answer any questions about One Walk.

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Name:  Cathleen Callinan

Town:  Rumson, NJ

How long involved with One Walk and/or Breakthrough T1D?  2 years

Who is your T1D Hero? My T1D hero is my son, Jack, who has been dealing with type 1 diabetes for almost 7 years.

When he has to wait 15 minutes for his insulin to kick in before eating his mean, he does this.

When he has to go for a walk around the block to get his blood sugar back down, he does this.

When he has to carry around a PDM and his cell phone (which is always) for BG [blood glucose] monitoring and insulin delivery, he does this.

When he has to wake up in the middle of the night to eat some crackers or glucose tables, he does this.

When he has to skip gym class because is BG is too low, he does this.

When his BG is quite high, he skips dessert when everyone else is enjoying an ice cream cone.

When he has to change is CGM sensor or insulin pod (which is quite often), he does this.

When he is not feeling well from unstable BG levels, he keeps going.

He does all of the above without complaining and he lives his life.

Jack’s A1C is continuously lower than 6.0.  This is not an easy feat for a type one diabetic.

Favorite coaching/connecting moment this year? I spoke with a woman who has been walking for 10 years with no T1D connection whatsoever. After walking for many years, her daughter befriended a classmate in kindergarten. Turns out her little friend has type 1 diabetes. Connection!

What do you love about Walk Day? I love the excitement and the all-for-one mission. Everyone is there truly for 1 goal. People are pumped and wanting to make a difference. I love the way families get the whole darn tribe involved. That is so nice to see.

Favorite piece of advice for a family/individual new to One Walk or Breakthrough T1D: Just have fun!

Special note: Cathleen, and her son Jack, joined Breakthrough T1D in Trenton for the Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day vote. Thank you for using your voice to help raise awareness across the state!