“You wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before. And that, my love, is bravery.” – Anonymous

“I am Kameran Ulferts. I am twenty three years old. I am a follower of Christ. I am an artist. I am an educator. I am a college graduate. I am a friend. I am a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, and a niece. I have a full time career working in youth development and I have started a creative business on the side. I am the co-founder of the UNK chapter of the College Diabetes Network. I am a camp counselor for children with diabetes. I am a JDRF volunteer. I am a believer in the goodness in people. I am hopeful. And I am a type 1 diabetic.

Despite the battles I and so many others fight daily, there are hidden blessings behind this disease. Throughout my 10 year journey with T1D, I have learned that attitude is everything. This disguised disease has taught me to constantly keep moving forward. There will be bad days where my blood sugars are a complete roller coaster, but I let the frustration motivate me. There truly isn’t a better feeling than managing my disease, having good blood sugars and illustrating to the world that this disease does not define me.

I do not take a second of my life for granted, because I know that one juice box truly can mean the difference between life and death. I attribute my positive outlook to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. My relationship with God truly is one I cannot live without. He gives me hope and his grace every single day. I pray every night a prayer of thanksgiving for every person to enter my life and unknowingly go through this journey with me. My family, my friends, my doctors, my coworkers, and so many others show me immeasurable amounts of love and support.

Without the lows in life, there truly aren’t any highs. I’m walking to celebrate my life with T1D, to celebrate the connections I’ve made in the T1D community and to celebrate the hope that JDRF gives us as we fundraise for a cure.”

Join us for the Virtual Kearney JDRF One Walk on Sunday, April 19th! 

— Kameran Ulferts