Some of you may know, and some may not, that my ten-year-old son, Seth, has insulin dependent diabetes. He was diagnosed at age five. It was a challenge for our family, but one that gave us deeper faith, greater appreciation for one another and constant amazement at the emotional and spiritual resources of a child.
Seth is a real hero, who has never blinked about checking his blood sugar, receiving insulin injections or anything else. He is now on an insulin pump and doing very well. HIs blood glucose is well controlled, and his Hemoglobin A1C (a marker of how well your blood glucose is controlled) is falling steadily. That’s wonderful news. He’s an incredible young man, who is taking bagpipe lessons, learning Latin and shooting on a competition BB gun team through 4H.
Seth’s one great hope, though, is for a cure for his disease.
This Saturday, October 6, is our regional ‘Walk for the Cure’ for the Western Carolinas Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. If you have it in your heart and wallet to donate, please do.
Here is the letter my wife wrote, and sent to all of our friends. Either she or I write one each year, but I always find hers more poignant than mine, for they are infused with a mother’s passionate hope for her child’s healing. The link to JDRF is at the bottom of her letter.
Hello Friends:
It is that time of year again when I send out my annual plea for your donations and support to the Juvenile Diabetes Reseach Foundation (JDRF).Â
It has been five years since Seth was diagnosed with type 1 Juvenile Diabetes, that is half of his life now. At 10 he is a happy and active child who is tied to his insulin pump and continues to stick his finger 5 to 9 times a day with a needle. Â
His doctor says that they are so very close to a cure and that within Seth’s life time this disease could be eliminated.  We would love to see this happen and know that the only way is to support the much needed research.
This year’s walk in Greenville is October 6th and Team Leap will be there doing our part. We would love to have your support: financial – donate to JDRF, physical – come walk with us, and spiritual – keep us and the researchers in your prayers.
Always you may call or email me for additional information. I thank you for all that you have done in the past and all that you shall do next. God Bless you.
Ed, I have found there is nothing quite like a fellow physician that has a close family member with a chronic disease. You would think we are prepared for this sort of thing…..but we are not. Cures are rare, treatments are long term, we hope for the best and deal with the reality. “Great Strides” is a parallel organization for Cystic Fibrosis. Now I have two things to “walk for”. (my son has CF)
My dad has type 2 diabetes. He manages diabetes through Diet and Exercise and alo by taking food supplements like Alpha Lipoic acid which helps in preventing nerve damage. He also takes Chromium which helps in the regulation of blood sugar.
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[…] Original post by Edwinlea delivered by Medtrials and StudyMe […]
[…] articles wrote an interesting post today on The Walk for the Cure for Juvenile DiabetesHere’s a quick excerpt […]
Ed, I have found there is nothing quite like a fellow physician that has a close family member with a chronic disease. You would think we are prepared for this sort of thing…..but we are not. Cures are rare, treatments are long term, we hope for the best and deal with the reality. “Great Strides” is a parallel organization for Cystic Fibrosis. Now I have two things to “walk for”. (my son has CF)
My dad has type 2 diabetes. He manages diabetes through Diet and Exercise and alo by taking food supplements like Alpha Lipoic acid which helps in preventing nerve damage. He also takes Chromium which helps in the regulation of blood sugar.
With current advances in stem cell research, it won’t be long before we can find a permanent cure for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. ~