My name is Sarah and when I was just eight years old I was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, or type 1 diabetes (T1D). I had never even heard of the word diabetes, nor was I able to comprehend what that meant for the rest of my life. My parents and family were helpful and amazing, but I felt I couldn’t be a true child or teen anymore. I couldn’t go to a birthday party and eat cake like the rest of the kids, or have candy on Halloween. My parents and family did their best to help make sure my life stayed as “normal” as possible, but it still felt like I wasn’t the same as everyone else.

When I was first diagnosed I began injections, five times daily, and had to draw up on my own insulin for these injections. After that the insulin injections progressed to “pre-loaded” doses. Now T1D research has come an incredibly long way since I was first diagnosed 20 years ago.  I have been blessed with a censored insulin pump. I can’t imagine not having it now! It gives so much more freedom and makes it easier to forget, at least for a few minutes, that you have T1D.

Orchestrating this Walk is very close to my heart. The pandemic has rapidly affected our day to day life, businesses, and how we live overall. Although our lives are different now; T1D is still here to stay and it reminds us daily that it is not going anywhere. I hope to help, even in just a small way to fund the research to find a cure for T1D. This year will be my ninth year, with the help of friends and family, organizing a JDRF One Walk on September 18, 2021 in Thomaston. Together our Team, Color Me Cured-Thomaston, has raised more than $63,830 for JDRF.  In 2021, the fundraiser will again benefit JDRF, a qualified non-profit organization that is a leading organization in funding type 1 diabetes research.

-Sarah Polk | Walk Team Captain, Color Me Cured-Thomaston