Kyle Paris

Hi! My name is Kyle Paris, I am 7-years-old and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) when I was 2. I live in Marshfield, MA right near the beach and I love Boogie Boarding, playing baseball, and hanging out with my friends.  My family is my parents, Megan and Joe, and my little sister Fallon, who is 4-years-old.  You see, my little sister is really where my T1D story began. Right before Fallon was born my Mum started noticing that I was showing all the signs of  T1D and decided to call my pediatrician who asked her bring me in for a test. It turned out that day would be the day I was diagnosed with T1D, a day I don’t remember but my parents will never forget—November 4, 2011.

We are so lucky to live close to Boston Children’s Hospital where I stayed for a week and received the absolute best medical care in the world; the doctors and nurses were amazing and one of those doctors is still my endocrinologist now. Dr. Jennifer Todd has been with us since day one!  Day after day groups of doctors and nurses would come into the room and check on my parents and me while we all learned about our new life with T1D, but I never cried or complained— in fact when one doctor asked how I was doing I simply answered “I am having the best time!”  You see that is how I am almost all of the time about my diabetes; I don’t know any different so I can’t help but be positive and that is what makes me so special.

Shortly after returning home from Boston Children’s Hospital my little sister, Fallon Maureen, was born and then life got really interesting! Our days were filled with injections, blood sugar checks, carb counting, and lots of diaper changes and bottles.  We are so lucky that my Nana, Papa, and Auntie A live close by because my Mum and Dad really needed all the help they could get. These times were busy and crazy and sometimes very hard for my family but now they seem like a million years ago and we made it through.

Once we all got into the swing of things we became involved with JDRF and we started fundraising for our first JDRF One Walk Boston in the fall of 2012 forming Team Kyle for a CURE. Our first walk day was so amazing—we had a big team of friends and family who were all very emotional as they looked around and saw so many kids who live with T1D just like me and that was when we knew that we had to do everything we could from that day on to help JDRF with their efforts. Team Kyle for a CURE will be walking in our fifth JDRF One Walk Boston this year hoping to bring the five year total raised to more than $20,000. We are so grateful for everyone who has supported all our fundraising efforts over the years from Facebook pledges to lemonade stands; it is so much fun for me to have you all supporting this cause on my behalf!

There are others ways we are involved with JDRF. My Mum volunteers on the Gala Committee and helps with other office projects and I have been a JDRF Youth Ambassador doing community outreach since I was just 4-years-old! I don’t think it is ever too early to get involved with JDRF so I hope to see you all at the Walk in Boston on October 1—please come up and say Hi when you see my friends and me with our Team Kyle for a CURE shirts on, and thanks for letting me tell my story!