WALK TO CURE DIABETES - Jessica Armin

 

 

WALK TO CURE DIABETES

 

Dear Family and Friends

 

On Sunday October 3^rd we participated for the 3^rd time in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s annual Walk to Cure Diabetes in North Haven, CT. We greatly appreciate the support you have provided to the JDRF and to Jessica over the past couple of years and we are writing now to let you know how Jessica is doing, and to ask for your support of the JDRF.

 

As most of you know our daughter Jessica was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 2 ½ years ago at the age of 5. We were too stunned to realize that Jessica was instantly carrying with her the tremendous burden of not only living a complex and painful daily lifestyle, but also facing a future possibly fraught with kidney failure, heart disease, nerve damage, blindness and many other complications of diabetes. One of the things we have come to realize is that we, as parents, try so hard to keep up a positive front – mostly for Jessica, so she won’t feel burdened or overwhelmed with this lifelong disease. So, let me tell you, just a little of what it is like to live with a child who has type 1 a condition that many refer to as the silent killer.

 

Today started like every other day in our home. As soon as I wake up, my thoughts immediately turn to Jessica. How late is it? Did Jessica suffer from a low blood sugar last night and will she wake up or did she slip into a coma? If she does wake up, what will her mood be? If her blood sugars ran high, then she doesn’t sleep well and will be agitated for the rest of the day. And if his sugars were high, what damage has it done to her eyes, kidney, and little heart? If her blood sugar is too low, we’ll need to act fast because if she goes too low, it could cause brain damage, seizures, or even death. What will I say to Jessica today when she tells me that she hates his diabetes and asks me when will her diabetes it be cured, or why can’t she be like other kids? The most heart wrenching and cruel thing about diabetes is, even if we tightly control Jessica’s diet and sugar levels, over time, she still is more likely to have heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and an early death. This is a typical morning in the Armin household; it doesn’t get any easier as time has gone by.

 

Do you know that diabetes claims over 170,000 lives each year and is the leading cause of death by disease in America? It is becoming an epidemic. Currently there is no cure and no way to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. JDRF, the world’s leading non-profit funder of type 1 diabetes research has a mission. That mission is to find a cure for diabetes through the support of research. We remain extremely impressed with the professionalism and dedication of this organization as they give more money directly to research than any other private agency in the world.

 

For the first time in history, a cure for this chronic disease is within our reach; a few people with diabetes are now living insulin-free as a result of islet transplants. However, the next phase of research is in human clinical trials, which are very costly.

 

As parents, we try to protect our children from harm. We must do everything we can to help find a cure for diabetes. We are writing to you today in hopes that you will join us in this fight. Although the walk is over there is still time to make a donation at http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87731652.

 

 

We are grateful to all for the contributions you have provided in the past. We know you are asked to contribute to a number of important and worthy causes. When you choose to help us, we appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity. Together we can make a difference!

 

Thank you, if you have any questions please call Dan or MaryJo at (203) 483-8596 or email mdarmin@comcast.net

 

Love,

 

Dan, MaryJo & Jessica Armin