Lily was diagnosed with type one diabetes (T1D) in November of 2016. Like most in our situation, we were shocked, sad, scared and overwhelmed. I will never forget that hospital room in Boston or the emotions we, as a family, felt in it.

It took months for us to find a new normal, but we did so by the side of our family and friends. I will forever be amazed at the tenacity and the bravery of my little girl. From that day we have often talked about how being brave doesn’t mean we’re not scared, it means doing something important despite how scared we are. She was four-years-old then, and fought through every poke and prick, high and low. Now she’s approaching her seventh birthday and third dia-versary and I can’t believe the progress she has made. I can honestly say that while I wish this disease didn’t exist, it has given her confidence and a feeling of being okay with being unique at a young age. My husband and I believe it has also made our family have a special closeness and helped us live with a perspective of gratitude because we know the fragility of life.

We spend a lot of our time educating friends, teachers and anyone who asks about this disease because while it’s name is well known, the way it actually affects people is not. That’s actually why we were first drawn to JDRF, we found resources there which we could use to educate others. The more we learned about JDRF we discovered that it offers something most things can’t, hope. We can tangibly see the hope for a cure through the lens of this research foundation and that’s why we walk for a cure!

This was our second year walking as Team Lily Bird at the JDRF One Walk Boston and each time it has been a wonderful experience. The first time we walked, we raised most of our money online—which was great. But this year Lily really wanted to be involved in the fundraising and being that she’s only a six-year-old, online fundraising isn’t really the best option. She LOVES to be in the kitchen, and I think a lot of that has to do with how much thought we put into nutrition and talking about how different foods work with our bodies. She particularly loves to bake, so we thought that a bake sale would be a great way for her to be involved in our Team Lily Bird fundraising efforts.

We baked for days and days together and created self-sustaining bake sales at local businesses and community centers. Staying true to the importance of education for our family, at the bake sales we also focused on educating the public. We had all kinds of information available explaining what it’s like to live with T1D, warning signs and symptoms, and misconceptions about the disease.

In total, Lily’s bake sales raised $325.50 and our team totaled $3,226.00! It was really fun to watch Lily say to people, “Im raising money to make my diabetes go away”—which in reality is the simplest way to explain why we partner with JDRF. The JDRF One Walk is a beautiful way to support a cause we care deeply about while raising awareness in the community! We look forward to more walks and more bake sales until a cure is found.

-Elyse Emery
Team Captain & Mom