My dear friend Jennifer's son Jackson has Type 1 diabetes. Jennifer and I have been friends since college, and she is my favorite scrapping buddy. I always knew Jackson's diabetes was a challenge, but I had no idea how much it takes over his family's life until I started taking Jennifer to help me at out of town crops. Jennifer is constantly in contact with the school nurse...she gets phone calls throughout the day with questions about Jack's blood sugars. We rarely go to lunch without her taking a phone call from the nurse.
Most scrapbookers with children can leave their kids in the care of a trusted family member to go away and crop for a weekend. Jennifer can do this too...but she cannot ever truly get away. Jack's diabetes is always on her mind, and always something she needs to check on regularly. If there is an issue with Jack's insulin pump, she is on the phone with Ken, her husband, trying to troubleshoot from 300 miles away.
I am not telling you this because you should feel sorry for Jennifer and her family...she doesn't want that. I am telling you because I am amazed by the strength she and Ken have to deal with this disease every minute of their day. Jennifer and her husband Ken put forth constant effort to ensure that Jack's life is relatively normal. Jack plays sports and does almost everything a typical 9 year-old boy does, and even more. He goes to birthday parties and plays every sport he wants to. He also shares a love of Legos with my son Zach.
Jackson and Kaden with Zach and Drew at Zach's birthday party last year.
Here is a note from Jennifer explaining what life is like for Jackson. Please consider making a donation to help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. Every penny helps, and you can donate any amount you choose. Click here to donate.
Jack's Pack
There's no denying it: our family is a sports-minded family. With 4 boys living under one roof there is really no way to get around it! At any given moment around our house, you will find a TV (or 2) on ESPN, a radio tuned to sports radio, someone checking the scores on the latest hockey game, and definitely a boy with a ball in his hand. Sports keep us active, healthy, and of course, very busy. Ball caps and t-shirts are my general uniform and there is always a practice or a game to shuttle a kid to. The van is filled with bags, bats, shoes, hockey skates and sticks, as well as everything we need to keep Jackson alive. Yes, Type 1 Diabetes runs onto every field and skates on each ice rink with Jackson too. In fact, diabetes is never closer to our minds than when he is participating in some type of sport.
Jackson loves baseball! It would be hard not to when you have been watching your older brother play the game since you were just a baby. I still remember vividly his first t-ball game and how excited he was to finally be a player. That excitement and joy has only grown stronger as he has grown up on the ball fields. However, diabetes is right there with him. We often find ourselves wondering? What is his blood sugar? Is he nervous on the mound? Will he go too high and have to be taken off the field? Can he even see the ball when he is up to bat? The complications and symptoms of type 1 are ever present during the games. Lows on the field could be even more dangerous than at any other time. We have even had to advocate for him to be able to wear his medical alert bracelet while playing just to keep him safe in case something unthinkable were to happen. No kid wants his mom in the dugout checking his sugars in between innings and we can't just watch the game and cheer him on as parents.
In the past few years, Jackson has developed a deep love for the game of hockey. After moving back to Wichita and following the Wichita Thunder, he began to beg us to play hockey. We have never limited Jackson in anything he wanted to do because of diabetes. Our belief is diabetes does not define Jackson; he is simply a kid WITH diabetes. However, to be completely honest, we were fearful of Jackson actually wanting to play hockey. It is a physically demanding and often aggressive sport. What will it do to his blood sugars? What about his insulin pump? Could he even wear it on the ice at all? This was the first time in 7 years we have shown hesitation in allowing Jackson to participate in any activity that he wanted to try. After many conversations and prayer, we decided to take the leap and allow him to learn to skate and try it out. As hard as it will be to manage this disease on the ice, we wanted to give Jackson the chance to play hockey. We still don't have the answers to how it will all work, but we won't live with regret for not giving him the chance to play.
Participating in sports is just a part of our life. Our family also loves watching baseball, hockey, football and pretty much any other sport we can too! Diabetes presents difficulties even in these situations. There is always a concession stand filled with foods we have to guess the carbohydrates of. It is such a careful balance of giving insulin for food and gaging his activity level. A hockey game is very long and there is lots of sitting, not to mention the adrenaline levels when a game is on the line and we need one more goal! We have to pay close attention to Jackson's blood sugars during the entire event. Baseball games in the heat of the summer often pose threats of extreme heat and exhaustion. It will always be a never-ending balance of enjoying the game and keeping Jackson as safe as possible.
We share all this with you because Jackson needs a cure. And while we are waiting for that cure, he needs the best therapy that research can give us right now. He continues to wear an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor every day and night. Those pieces of technology have given us a small measure of peace while he is just being a kid who loves sports. With this tiny glimpse into his sporting life we want to ask you to help us support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and the Walk to Cure Diabetes. We have prayed for JDRF to have a walk in our hometown of Wichita, KS for many years and this year that prayer was answered! Our first annual Walk to Cure Diabetes will be April 28 at Sedgwick County Park at 9:00 am.
Please consider making a donation to help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. Click here to donate.
