May’s “Heart to Heart: T1D Caregiver Spotlight” is on Susan Foreman from St. Augustine, Florida! Susan’s nine-year-old daughter, Madison, was diagnosed with T1D in October 2022. The Foremans are a family of 4: James (dad), Susan (mom), and daughters Aubrey (15) and Madison (9) moved to Northeast Florida in March of 2022 from North Carolina, just a few months before Madison’s diagnosis.

James was born in Jacksonville and moved to New Jersey as a child where he and Susan met. After moving around for their previous employer, they decided to open their own company, Foreman’s Machinery Movers, in December of 2020. Their family enjoys spending time camping, fishing, traveling, and any outdoor activities. Their daughter, Aubrey, loves musical theater, singing and horseback riding and Madison enjoys gymnastics, cheerleading, and horseback riding.

Looking Back

Although the day Madison was diagnosed with T1D was the most frightening day of their lives for Susan and James, Madison remembers and loves to share that she flew in a helicopter. Madison’s diagnosis took a few weeks: they noticed that she was drinking so much and was constantly thirsty, hungry, having frequent urination, and waking in the middle of the night to raid the refrigerator. With no knowledge of T1D at the time, Susan took Madison to the doctor thinking it was a UTI, which it was not, and they sent them home.

About a week later, Madison started to vomit and could not keep anything down. They took her back to urgent care where they told the Foremans that it was the flu. “I was thinking to myself that she has no flu symptoms: no fever, no stuffy nose, cough, etc. Her only flu-like symptom was vomiting. So, I had them take another look,” says Susan. “They listened to her chest, called in another nurse to listen, then sent us to the emergency room very concerned about a whooshing sound that they had heard. At the emergency room, they told us that Madison had type 1 diabetes and we would be airlifted to another hospital. After one night in the ICU, Madison was doing so much better. We thank God every day that we were able to get Madison the care that she needed.”

Although it’s been less than a year since Madison was diagnosed with T1D, the Foreman family has learned a lot about managing her diabetes. Below you will find more information about Susan and Madison, as well as some helpful, realistic advice about being a T1D caregiver:

Throughout your child’s T1D journey, what have been the biggest challenges you faced?

“The biggest challenge for us was educating others while not feeling so sure ourselves that what we were doing was the right thing,” says Susan. “There is so much to learn in such a short amount of time, and it is constantly changing. We are so thankful for the Diabetes Educators at Nemours, the school nurses, and friends who we met through JDRF for helping us navigate.”

When it comes to managing her T1D, Madison’s biggest challenge has been to stop and take time to take care of her diabetes because she is constantly on the go. Although Madison has days where she wishes her diabetes away, most days are good. Her resilience and strength make Susan and her husband, James, so proud.

While adjusting to life with a child with type 1 diabetes, are there certain things you found that helped you better manage their disease? What about something that helped give you hope when you were just getting started?

The first week the Foreman family came home from the hospital, Madison would hop on the exercise bike to lower her high blood sugars – this was amazing because it really made her feel in control. Seeing the instructor in the videos with a Dexcom gave her so much hope during that time. The Foreman family also found hope in attending the JDRF One Walk and seeing so many families connecting and supporting each other.

What skills/lessons has raising a T1D child taught you? For a parent of a newly diagnosed T1D, how would you compare those feelings to now? 

“Raising a type 1 child has taught me that there is no such thing as perfection,” explains Susan. “We will have highs and lows, and we will work through it. As a parent, it is important to stay calm even when feeling anxious because children are so good at picking up on emotions.”

Susan also says that patience is very important while waiting on blood sugars to come up and taking the time to prepare for outings, etc. She has learned that most days are good, and to slow down and count her blessings.

Can you touch on why it’s important for T1D caregivers to come together?

“Having a community of people who understand is so important. We, as caregivers, need to know that we are not alone,” says Susan. “It is so important to come together and communicate our experiences and learn from each other.”

JDRF has many support groups for those living with T1D and their caregivers – for more information, visit jdrf.org/t1d-resources/personal-support/. If you’re looking for local support in the Northern Florida area, send an email to northernflorida@jdrf.org and we will make sure you get connected with other families, support groups, and events we host throughout the year.

What has JDRF meant to/done for your family?

JDRF has been there for the Foremans from the very beginning. “Receiving the Bag of Hope in the hospital really helped Madison feel more comfortable,” says Susan. “Madison was terrified of getting an injection, but giving Rufus the Bear his shot first gave her the courage to get hers.” After settling in at home, they were welcomed by the JDRF community with friendly emails and invitations to meet other caregivers at Coffee and Conversations – which was just what Susan needed.

What is the most important thing you would want other parents of children with T1D to know?

“It would be hard to give advice since we are just 6 months from diagnosis,” says Susan. “I still feel like I need all of the advice that I can get.” However, she says that it is very important to let the people around you that want to help have the opportunity. “When you are the primary caregiver of a type one child, it can be very difficult to take time for yourself. If you have the support, don’t be afraid to take time to refresh.”

A True T1D Champion

We believe that because of parents and caregivers like Susan, the children living with T1D in our community are given the support and care they need to succeed in life and in managing their disease. To anyone caring for a child with T1D, please know that you are not alone in the sleepless nights and heavy days. JDRF Northern Florida is here to help you and can connect you with a network of other T1D caregivers to share advice, struggles, and words of encouragement.

For more information or to submit someone for our “Heart to Heart: T1D Caregiver Spotlight,” please contact Dori Rivers at Drivers@jdrf.org.