August 27, 2018. Reid was 3 years old and every single detail of this day is still ingrained in our mind. The smell of the hospital soap, the look of sheer concern and love on our pediatrician’s face, the blue scrubs our first nurse Reilly was wearing, the boxed dinner they gave us complete with a carb count for the apple, turkey sandwich and drink inside. Reid was moody, irritable and overly emotional. He would wake us up before 5:30am bringing us a box of Entenmann’s Little Bites saying he “needed them”. He was wetting through his pull-ups, sheets and mattress pad after limiting, and sometimes denying him water. Joe met me at the doctor’s office with Reid’s older sister, Isabelle and his baby brother Logan. What we thought was going to be a quick and simple visit with strategies to help improve potty training for Reid turned into a one-way ticket to a diabetic lifestyle.

We have been fighting since that day for our “Diabetic Dash.” As a parent you want nothing more than you see your children healthy and safe. You want to solve all their problems through your unconditional love and knowledge (and maybe a band-aid too!) to find a quick solution. However, Type 1 Diabetes is one disease that does not have a cure. He will not outgrow it. His body will never start making insulin on its own. There is no solution for our son – just continued management. And that management requires knowledge. Knowledge of bolus and basil rates, carb counting, and blood sugars, to name a few. Knowledge of how every meal, every sport, every recess activity, every playdate will affect him. We are in full control of his management right now, which at times can feel like another full-time job for two working parents.

But we will continue to fight. We fight back tears when we are exhausted of the lifestyle but must remain strong for our superhero. We fight for his bravery through each pump and CGM change on his little body. We fight for our family to continue to support him – as Isabelle helps him find the carbs on the food label and Logan looks to idolize his older brother. We fight for him to remain resilient each day. That this will not define who he is but make him a stronger and more confident version of who he is set out to become.

We walk to unite our forever community of fighters and supporters. We stand together to unify our purpose and advocate for this silent disease. We are beyond thankful for the JDRF community and the love the show each family and the love they have to ensure that someday in our lifetime we can become Type None.

To read more about our family story, please access our personal fundraising page here or click here to register your own team!