by Martha Friedland

December 29th, 2017 is a day that is forever embedded in our minds, and one I wish to forget.

Rachel was 10. She had lost 10 pounds, was drinking excessively, she was tired and going to the bathroom a lot.  I lay in bed at night looking up these symptoms and type 1 diabetes (T1D) was always what came up.

It was Rachel’s school break and she had plans to spend the day at a friend’s house. I told her she had to go to the doctor first and make sure she was ok; she was not herself. A quick blood test and urine sample gave us the diagnosis. Within 3 hours we were admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital and spent 3 long days learning how to live life with T1D.

We were in shock, but Rachel never complained or asked why. She was hoping to make it home by New Year’s Eve so we could go a party we were invited to.  We didn’t go. I emailed the school principal and Rachel’s teacher, sharing the news and the response was incredible. Rachel’s teacher had a daughter with T1D, the nurse was a pro and there was another child in the school with T1D. After break we showed up at the school. I was like a deer in headlights and was welcomed by the school office staff, the school nurse, her teacher and a round of hugs.  We are very lucky to have had that support.

I spent the next month crying and trying to learn all I could about T1D. I was talking to anyone who was connected to someone who had a child with T1D.  I needed to know that life would be normal again. It is normal, just a new normal. Rachel went back to her regular sleep away camp for 7 weeks where they took amazing care of her and she will be returning this summer. She swims, plays tennis, does gymnastics and is a really happy kid. She wears a pump and Dexcom and that has made life so much easier. But diabetes does not define her.

There are moments of weakness and lots of highs and lows, both in numbers and feelings. But – there are a lot of moments of normal and times we can’t remember what it is like to not have type 1 diabetes.

We walk to show our support as a family and with friends and this year even more will be with us.

We walk to raise money for continued research.

We walk to raise awareness to those in our life.

We walk because we need to feel like we are a part of the cure.

We walk because we need to feel like we are part of a group that understands the daily struggle.

We walk because we never want to feel alone or have someone else feel alone.

We walk because we want to believe that there will be a day without type 1 diabetes.

To learn more about JDRF One Walk and the Yonkers 2019 One Walk click here.