JDRF

My work is a corporate sponsor of JDRF and the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes walk is coming up September 27th. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the #1 non-profit funder of diabetes research worldwide. $.85 of every $1 raised, goes back to fund research. There are many devastating diseases in our world right now, and that saddens us. The difference with juvenile diabetes is that wiping it out of existence is extremely attainable and within reach.

My mom suffers from adult diabetes. I have several dear friends who suffer from diabetes, as well. I lost someone very special to me almost 9 years ago who suffered from diabetes. At the time he died, he was only 19.

Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating, often deadly disease that affects millions of people--a large and growing percentage of them children. Many people think type 1 diabetes can be controlled by insulin. While insulin does keep people with type 1 diabetes alive, it is NOT a cure. Aside from the daily challenges of living with type 1 diabetes, there are many severe, often fatal, complications caused by the disease. That's the bad news... and yes, it's pretty bad.
The good news, though, is that a cure for type 1 diabetes is within reach. In fact, JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research to date. And JDRF funds a major portion of all type 1 diabetes research worldwide, more than any other charity.

I'll tell a quick story of this little girl who came and spoke to a group of us here at work. She is 6 years old, actually she'll be 7 on Friday (same as my b-day). She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 3. She got up and gave a speech with absolutely no assistance from her dad. Anyways, she has been pricked (in her finger) over 10,000, had over 5000 shots, etc. She said, 'When I'm at a birthday party and my friends are watching the candles be lit. I can't watch b/c I have to be pricking my finger (testing her insulin) to see if my blood sugar is ok enough for me to be able eat cake and ice cream.' She continued on about her experience in living with diabetes and it really touched my heart. She was the most precious little girl, but to put myself in her shoes for just a few minutes, was such a reality check. To put myself in her dad's shoes as a parent, made the reality check even more surreal.

This year, I'll be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes along with a half-million other walkers across the country. Our goal: To raise $100 million to help fund research for a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications. My goal is to raise $300. Please click on this link if you would like to contribute to the cause - http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87089680 - any amout you can donate is greatly appreicated.

Mason Hughes

For 10+ years, I volunteered in many aspects with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Starting in 1996, I started volunteering 1 week out of my summer to attend the West Texas MDA Summer Camp in Happy, TX. I continued volunteering every summer up until I graduated from college. I missed 2002, but returned in 2003-2006. Unfortunately, my busy schedule with my family and work hasn't allowed me attend the past 2 years.

For those who do not know what Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is, MD is a group of genetic, hereditary muscle diseases that cause progressive muscle weakness. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue. Nine diseases including Duchenne, Becker, limb girdle, congenital, facioscapulohumeral, myotonic, oculopharyngeal, distal, and Emery-Dreifuss are always classified as muscular dystrophy but there are more than 100 diseases in total with similarities to muscular dystrophy. Most types of MD are multi-system disorders with manifestations in body systems including the heart, gastrointestinal and nervous systems, endocrine glands, skin, eyes and other organs. (Taken from wikipedia)

I could probably right a book about how volunteering for MDA has changed my life. Most of the kids who attend camp, keep coming back every year (as long as their health allows them to). The camp is funded through donations, various fundraising events, and through Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. The week at camp is one week out of the year where they feel 'normal' per se. They aren't looked at differently b/c the walk with braces or are confined to a wheelchair. They get to do all kinds of activities from going to the lake and riding in a boat to swimming to riding horses to participating in skits. The list of activities goes on and on. Throughout my years of volunteering, I started out as an Attendant (paired up w/one child w/MD) worked my way up to Unit Leader (oversees a cabin of Attendants and Campers) and then Senior Counselor (oversees the entire camp).

During my 10 years of volunteering and even thereafter, I've remained friends with several of the campers and keep in touch with them. You develop friendships that the 'outside world' really doesn't understand. Even though we usually only see each other once a year for a week span, you develop a bond that you can't explain. Throughout the years, we usually lose a camper at least once a year. The MD progressively gets works as they get older and grow.

Most recently, we lost Mason Hughes on Sunday. It is bittersweet though. Mason attended his last year of camp last week. (Campers are allowed to attend camp through the age of 21.) Camp ended on Friday and he passed away on Sunday. I've known Mason since he was about 8 years old. He was always the one cracking jokes and making everyone laugh. He always had a crush on someone and wasn't afraid to show it. Mason truely is an inspiration to all of us. Keeping fighting! I'm sure Mason hasn't skipped a beat and is now entertaining up in Heaven. We love you Mason!

Mason and I - Summer Camp '03

Mason and I - Summer Camp '04

Mason and I - Summer Camp '06