JDRF Walk for the cure

Hello all! Hope this finds you all well and enjoying the beginning of the 2009 fall season!

Many, if not all of you know it's been 2 and a half years now since Aidan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. As a parent it is one of those moment's that I'll never forget. In an instant Aidan's life was changed. Since March of 2007 Aidan has had to prick his finger a minimum of 5 times a day to check his blood sugar levels. In the last 2 years he has had approximately 5000 shots to deliver the insulin his body can not produce on it's own, insulin he needs  to survive.

For those of you unfamiliar with Type 1 diabetes I'll give a brief explanation. Type 1 diabetes appears suddenly and progresses rapidly, as was the case with Aidan. He lost 8 lbs from January to the time he was diagnosed in March. For a 3 year old, 8 lbs is a lot of weight! When a person has Type 1 diabetes the pancreas ceases to manufacture insulin, a hormone necessary to convert the food we eat into energy for the body. Children and adults with Type 1 diabetes must get multiple daily injections of insulin to stay alive. Insulin keeps the individual alive, but it is not a cure. 200,000 people a year die from diabetic complications. 1 in 16 people in the US is diabetic.


In May of this year, Darren and I were fortunate enough to be able to provide an Omnipod for Aidan. The Omnipod is the world's first tubeless insulin pump. The pod is attached to Aidan's body and it holds and delivers the insulin he needs. The pod has it's own personal PDM or meter that Darren and I use to control insulin delivery. No more painful injections, just one stick every 2-3 days when the pod needs to be replaced and the cannula is inserted under the skin. So 1 stick with a needle every 2-3 days verses the 20-30 shots he'd have in the same amount of time. The pod has been a tremendous blessing to Aidan and to Darren and I. Aidan's A1c (average blood sugar readings) have dropped a whole point and a half since May, he's sitting right at 7, which is AWESOME! His sugars as a whole are so much more stable then they've ever been and he has more freedom and independence! Best of all he absolute loves it!
Organizations like JDRF make the research behind the design for things like the Omnipod possible, and we are forever grateful because it has given our son a better quality of life!

Please consider partnering with us in prayer, or through a financial contribution by clicking here as we continue to hope for a cure in Aidan's lifetime!