Welcome to our 2018 JDRF One Walk Team Spotlights, a series dedicated to celebrating the most important part of JDRF One Walk – YOU! Registration for the Philadelphia One Walk is open, and there’s plenty of time to assemble your team, as fundraising continues well beyond Walk Day. All the hard work culminates in a day of fun at the Philadelphia Art Museum on October 28!

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For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack. – Rudyard Kipling

Read below to find out more about what JDRF means to Liz’s Wolfpack of the Philadelphia One Walk, as shared by team co-captain Wendy Petkus.

As always, there is a lesson to be learned from nature. A well-coordinated team can attack any project, no matter how large, no matter how overwhelming. So, why do we gather the Wolfpack? We do it for Liz and for everyone that has been diagnosed with T1D!

T1D suddenly barged into our lives when—on March 31, 2004—our dear friend Elizabeth’s life changed forever. Liz, who is now 25, received her diagnosis of T1D after being rushed to DuPont Hospital for Children after a diabetic seizure. Now insulin-dependent for life, she constantly struggles to maintain safe blood-sugar levels.

The past 14 years have seen countless ambulance trips and frightening diabetic seizures. Many people do not realize the devastating effect that hormones and stress can cause someone with T1D. Many do not understand the anguish a parent has when worrying about his or her child, checking throughout the night to make sure his or her sugar hasn’t dropped too low while sleeping. This is why we gather the Wolfpack.

As Liz’s “Cioccia Wendy”, I would do anything for Liz and her family. Upon Liz’s diagnosis, we all felt helpless and hopeless. We felt terrified, guilty, isolated, and even angry. What could we do to fix this? What could we do to ensure that Liz will live as normal a life as is possible? What could we do to allow Liz to pursue her hopes and dreams, free of worry about an uncertain future? Then we discovered JDRF! This is why we gather the Wolfpack.

From an early age, Liz has never wavered from her dream of becoming a veterinarian. This past spring, Liz graduated with a Master’s Degree in Animal Laboratory Science, and she is now applying to vet schools. In addition, Liz volunteers her time to speak with medical students at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine about her experience living with T1D and how medical providers can improve their bedside manner, particularly with children. She also volunteers as a counselor at Camp Setebaid, a summer camp that provides diabetes education and support for children and teens with diabetes. The opportunities seem limitless for an incredibly successful future for Liz. This is why we gather the Wolfpack.

No matter how optimistic we can be, we still are faced with the uncertainty of a life visited upon by early death, blindness, kidney failure, amputation, heart attack or stroke. Aside from the daily challenges of living with T1D, there are many severe, often fatal complications caused by the disease. T1D usually shortens the average life span by 15 years due to organs damaged by the disease. This is why we gather the Wolfpack. 

As JDRF’s research gets closer and closer to identifying a cure, we are hopeful that it will also bring us closer to finding a cure for other autoimmune diseases that our loved ones’ lives have been touched by, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and Graves’ disease, just to name a few. This is why we gather the Wolfpack.

EVERYONE has the power to make a crucial difference in the lives of so many. Now more than ever, EACH OF US can be a part of bringing about a cure. We can make a real difference. This is why we gather the Wolfpack.

On Walk Day—with thousands of people gathered—Liz, her family and friends feel supported. They realize that they are not on this journey alone. They see that there are people praying for them and that we are all on the same team, fighting to make the cure a reality. This is why we gather the Wolfpack.

Won’t you join us?

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Have you registered for the Philadelphia One Walk yet? Visit walk.jdrf.org/philadelphia to start or join a team. For more information about the JDRF One Walk program, or to find a Walk location near you, please visit walk.jdrf.org.