Written by Amy Holzapfel

On November 28, 2011 the way we saw as our family’s “normal” lifestyle changed forever.  Our oldest son, Preston, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 4.  Preston slowly began to show signs of T1D, in fact so slowly I had an excuse for each sign denying that this disease would ever be a part of our family.  He is just growing up and thinning out, he is just losing his “summer tan”, he must be peeing in his pants nonstop for attention and since he is drinking so much water.  Why didn’t I see it, how could I miss it, how could T1D be so sneaky and why my little boy?

When we arrived at Children’s Hospital in Dallas, Preston was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), my boy was very sick.  One thing was clear… my sweet little boy was strong and he was a fighter and his parents and little brothers Carson & Grant were going to fight too!  We don’t know how long Preston had been fighting T1D but on November 28th our family joined in with him and that became our new family “normal”.

Mom, Amy, with her husband Jon and their 3 boys: Preston, Carson & Grant.

The first 4 months post diagnosis we wrapped our arms and legs around our screaming and kicking son to hold him as still as possible to administer his insulin through shots 4 to 5 times a day.  He had better days but it was almost always a fight that broke our hearts.  Shots just weren’t working for us.

In March of 2012 he started pumping with the OmniPod insulin pump.  It was a fight to change the site every 3 days but he soon realized that this option was much better than getting a shot 4-5 times a day.  We are very proud of him as he has recently become more involved in the pod changes.  He removes the pod, prepares/fills the pod and now even pushes the “start” button to insert the cannula.  No one wants their child to go through this but I am beyond proud of his braveness and persistence to push on day to day.  Preston also wears a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) where we can monitor him more closely and discover trends we may have missed without the constant data.

As soon as we heard about the Breakthrough T1D Walk to Cure Diabetes we knew our family would be involved.  Seeing our son face T1D all day, every day and night we thought, isn’t that the least we could do?  We want to fight for Preston and do everything possible to get one step closer to finding a cure.  We formed Team Preston and immediately starting spreading the word and sharing with our friends and family.  There is no way to express the gratitude and appreciation for the support our family has received for the walk.  We are looking forward to walking with Team Preston as we support Preston and take each step to find a cure in Dallas on September 29th.

Amy’s Fundraising Tips:

1)   In the year after a diagnosis, when family and friends are asking you how they can help, simply ask them to make a donation!

2)   Make a Video sharing your story and your day to day life.  Nothing is more impacting than pictures!  A picture is worth more than 1,000 words!

3)   Get your family and friends involved by sending them emails using the templates in the Walk Center – make it fun!

4)   Go BIG and give it all you have and then a little more!

Crunching the numbers with Team Preston

$8,000

Fundraising goal set by the Holzapfel Family

61

Registered number of team members

417

Number of emails that Amy has sent to friends and family requesting support

$74

Average online donation made to Team Preston

3

Number of emails required for Team Preston to receive one donation

$6,318

Team Preston’s current fundraising total showing that it just takes a few emails and many caring hearts to support a better future for Preston!

You can support Team Preston by making a donation ?

 

View Preston’s Video about his journey with T1D

Sharing Preston’s journey through our Team Preston video has been a great way to educate our friends and family about our “new” family lifestyle.  Just as we were uneducated before diagnosis, most do not know what all is involved with the day in and day out work of managing T1D with no guarantee of success.  Don’t forget, you spent 3 days being educated nonstop while admitted in the hospital and then followed up with hours and hours of classes with the diabetes educators.  We cannot expect others to understand if we do not educate and share our stories.

Although his life may not be as carefree as it once was, Preston continues to fight through each day and enjoy life to its fullest.  He is determined that this disease will not get him down.  Preston plays soccer, golf, loves swimming, playing video games, wrestling with his brothers and will start kindergarten next week.  He teaches me daily to make the most of each day and take it step by step.  He is strong, courageous and is my hero.

 

Questions?

Have questions for Amy and their decision to participate in the Walk to Cure Diabetes?  Want to ask Amy for advice?  Post your questions and comments in the comments section below to hear from her!

Join us for the Walk to Cure Diabetes on September 29th by registering today!