JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

On Sunday, October 7, we joined hundreds of other walkers at Baylands Park in Sunnyvale for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes. We walked as part of Team Brave Buddies -- a wonderful support group of parents of kids with Type 1 diabetes. It was a beautiful day and the girls had a great time! And, since LifeScan was at the event, Ana even scored a free pink glucose monitor which she takes to school now for her morning blood sugar checks.

Thank you to all of our family and friends who donated so generously to support our cause. We raised a total of $1915 and exceeded our goal!

Here are some pictures from our walk...

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes - October 7, 2007

Katarina, Ana and Antonia...and they're off!

Uncle Frank and Tony in the background

Diana and Katarina

Team Brave Buddies

Ana...our Brave Buddy

Antonia...surfin' for a cure

Diana and the girls

Here are some facts that were posted on signs along the walk:

• In the U.S., a new case of diabetes is diagnosed every 30 seconds; more than 1.5 million people are diagnosed each year.
• Each year more than 13,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. That's about 35 children each and every day.
• As many as 3 million Americans may have type 1 diabetes.
• Diabetes is the single most costly chronic disease.

What is it like to have Type 1 Diabetes?
Ask people who have type 1 diabetes. It's difficult. It's upsetting. It's life threatening. It doesn't go away.

"Both children and adults like me who live with type 1 diabetes need to be mathematicians, physicians, personal trainers and dieticians all rolled into one. We need to be constantly factoring and adjusting, making frequent finger sticks to check blood sugars, and giving ourselves multiple daily insulin injections just to stay alive."
-- Actress Mary Tyler Moore, JDRF's International Chairman

"Every day, I have to endure up to six injections of insulin and more than ten finger pricks to keep me alive. When my blood sugar is high, my head hurts, I feel angry and sad, and it is hard to concentrate. When my blood sugar is low, I am dizzy, shaky, and in danger of becoming unconscious."

--Emma Melton, 16, Massachusetts

"Diabetes is always there. There's never a vacation. It's like a bad dream that lasts all day, all year, for my entire life."

-- Patrick Finan, 16, New York

"I already have problems with my kidneys, and I take medicine every day so my kidneys won't fail. I worry about what will happen if a cure isn't found soon. I don't have time to wait."

-- LaNiece Evans-Scott, 11, Ohio

Here is a link to a touching short video: Hope is in a Cure.

We look forward to walking again next year to raise awareness and funding for a CURE!