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Find Support

Living with T1D takes perseverance. It’s been documented that people living with diabetes often feel isolated in their efforts to manage the disease. In addition, parents and loved ones can feel overwhelmed and on their own as they care for a child with T1D.

JDRF San Diego recognizes that people find support in managing their health and their family’s health through different ways. As the organization works hard to find a cure, JDRF’s goal is to provide a variety of volunteer-led programs to help people with T1D and their families gain the support they need to meet the challenges of the disease.

JDRF San Diego is fortunate to be able to provide a wide spectrum of support options led by amazing volunteers. We urge all those who are faced with a diagnosis of T1D to proactively seek the support you need through the following programs (for more information on each program, please click on the link).

Parent Mentor Program - Do you have a newly diagnosed son or daughter? Speak with another parent who has had years of experience with raising their child with T1D.

Just for Parent Coffees - Meet other parents of children with T1D and learn more about how to effectively manage the disease. All over great coffee in an informal setting.


ACT1 - Are you an adult with T1D? Interested in meeting other adults with T1D? Share your experience and learn more from others as you meet new friends who face the same challenges.


Family Network Events - Events for the whole family provide parents, children with T1D and their siblings meet each other during a fun activity.

Little 1's Events - Special meet ups for those with young children with T1D ages infant to six years old.

 

Find support by getting involved.

Family Network Team

These volunteers are our champions of Family Network! If you want to find out more about the Family Network, contact Lisa, Susie or Violet.

lisaLisa Lamb

Welcome to the Family Network web page. My name is Lisa Lamb and I have an 8-year old son Jake who was diagnosed at 20 months. When he was first diagnosed, our family wanted to get to know and learn from other families who had children with type 1. I met Susie Villareal (see her story below) and it was heartening to get our families together. Three years ago, we decided that we wanted to establish something that could connect families together so that parents could meet regularly and informally and so that the kids could, well, be kids. I think that when kids meet others with type 1 they feel less alone and isolated. They don't have to explain to any children at the Family Network why they are checking themselves (or getting checked), or what it means to feel low. Mostly though, they play hard, have fun, and get to know a new group of pals. Whether your child was recently diagnosed or your family is an old-timer, we hope that you'll join us!

susieSusie Villareal

Hello, my name is Susie and I have a 7 year old son, Vincent, who was diagnosed at 17 months old in 2002. That same year I met Lisa and her son, Jake, who was diagnosed a few months before Vincent. Sharing my experiences and feelings with another parent gave me the courage and support I needed at such an important time in my life. I have since met so many wonderful parents, some of whom have become great friends of mine.

I became involved in the Family Network so I could help organize events where parents can have the opportunity to meet other families who are going through the same journey and be able share their emotions as I did. I have since met so many wonderful parents of children with Type 1 diabetes, some of which have become great friends.

Violet Lehrer

Hi. My name is Violet Lehrer. My son Elliott was diagnosed just after his 7 birthday, two and a half years ago. Our week at Children's Hospital was a surprise and we came home starting to adjust to the new life style we were undertaking. While I appreciated the information the doctors provided, I knew quickly there was much more to this journey than medicine. I needed to talk to other parents about their emotions, their ability to handle this change and their response to their kids' emotions. I felt it would be insightful and supportive to have a gathering among peers that were also experiencing the same daily life. The coffee house for parents who have a child with type 1 stemmed from this need. All moms and dads are welcome- those newly diagnosed or those that are veterans.

Meet our Heroes

Our kids who battle Type -1 everyday are our biggest heroes and source of inspiration. Here are the stories of some of them....

kyleKyle, age 5

  • Diagnosed at age 2
  • 11 finger sticks a day; 12,045 since diagnosis
  • 2 pump infusion site changes per week
  • 16 doctor visits in 3 years
  • 6 days in the hospital since diagnosis

Kyle was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was just 25 months old. It's a disease that affects the whole family, not just the child with diabetes. His younger sister, Callie, has known how to check Kyle’s blood sugar since she was 2 ½-years-old and acts like his nurse all the time.
Three years after being diagnosed, Kyle takes an active role in managing his diabetes: he can perform his own blood sugar checks, read food labels and enter the carbohydrates into his pump. He wants to know when the cure will be found and says he hates having to always remember to take his pump, pump pocket, test strips, checker, insulin, supplies, juice and snacks with him everywhere he goes.

angelina-4Angelina, age 6

  • Diagnosed at age 2
  • 10 finger sticks a day; 14,600 since diagnosis
  • 1,460 insulin shots and 2,190 pump infusion site changes in 4 years
  • 30 doctor visits since diagnosis
  • 2 hospital visits since diagnosis
  • 1 diabetic coma

Angelina has had to grow up so fast as a young child because of all the testing, finger pricks, infusion changes and the constant boluses for food she eats. Angelina’s life has changed dramatically as well as our family’s in everything we do. We feel blessed to have Angelina in our lives; she is a true hero and angel. For Angelina, diabetes is like a war and everyday she has to fight her battle to survive. Our hope is that Angelina will touch your heart as she has ours so that maybe, just maybe, one day a cure will be found.

devynDevyn, age 6

  • Diagnosed at age 2
  • 15 finger sticks a day; 21,900 since diagnosis
  • 2,000 insulin injections and 400 pump infusion site changes in 4 years
  • 16 doctor visits since diagnosis

Having diabetes is a major challenge for children and their families. It is really difficult to juggle carb counting, exercise, stress, illness and all the other things that affect the blood sugar levels on a daily basis. This disease has shown us the importance of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Naturally, Devyn gets frustrated with the rigorous routine, but he is brave and confident that a cure is close. Above all other things it is imperative to never give in to the emotional frustrations diabetes can create. As Devyn's Doctor once told us, “Devyn has diabetes, diabetes does not have him.”

christianChristian, age 14

  • Diagnosed at age 5
  • 6 finger sticks a day; 19,710 finger sticks since diagnosis
  • 8,668 shots in 9 years
  • 28 doctor’s visits since diagnosis

“Diabetes changes the whole way I think about a day. I have to plan SO much. It can be frustrating sometimes.”

carissaCarissa, age 11

  • Diagnosed at age 6
  • 8 finger sticks a day; 14,600 since diagnosis
  • 122 pump infusion site changes per year
  • 25 doctor visits in 5 years

Carissa is a trooper when it comes to her diabetes. But when you are a kid with diabetes, no matter how much you want to be like other kids, you always have the extra things you have to do to take care of yourself. Just to play a sport you need to check your blood sugar before you start and then sometimes eat extra food or drink a juice. You may have to check again if you feel low or just to make sure your blood sugar is at a good level while playing and then you may need to check again at the end of your sport. Any other kid would just be able to play the sport.
“Having diabetes STINKS! I can’t wait for a cure to be found so I don’t have to check my blood and have a pump attached to me anymore! If there was a cure, I would be a normal kid and eat whatever I want and wouldn’t have to worry about what my blood sugar number is.”

aaronAaron, age 14

  • Diagnosed at age 7
  • 10 finger sticks a day; 25,550 since diagnosis
  • 729 pump infusion site changes in 6 years
  • 28 doctor visits in 7 years
  • 3 hospital stays since diagnosis

All Aaron wants in life is to be a NORMAL kid with normal kid issues. He has had diabetes for half his life and has been under good control all seven years, but still, he now has kidney trouble caused by the diabetes. Since he was diagnosed so young, diabetes robbed him of a carefree childhood. He will never remember a time in his life when he had no worries, or when the worst thing he had to think about was math homework or taking out the trash. Everyday, every minute he has to worry about his blood sugar levels -- will he make it to lunch? Can he do his Tae Kwon Do workout and not go low? How will other kids treat him if they know he has this disease? What will they say if they see his pump site while changing for gym? And worst of all ... What complication is coming next?
"Sometimes I can't believe that this is my life, and it feels like it will never end. A cure for diabetes would mean I could just live a normal life -- no worries, no needles, no problems.

ryanRyan, age 8

  • Diagnosed at age 2
  • 8 finger sticks a day; 23,805 since diagnosis
  • 2,800 shots and 580 pump infusion site changes in 6 years
  • 24 doctor visits in 6 years

“I can’t remember life without diabetes. I was two-years-old when I was diagnosed. I couldn’t even say diabetes then; I called it ‘diddy biddys.’ I never get a vacation from diabetes, it is with me everywhere I go. I have to think about everything I eat and always count my carbs. I love to play baseball and always check my blood sugars before, during and after my games. Someday I wish there would be a cure for diabetes!”

marinMarin, age 8

  • Diagnosed at age 6
  • 5 finger sticks a day; 3,650 since diagnosis
  • At least 2 insulin shots a day; 1,460 since diagnosis...soon to be on an insulin pump!
  • 11 doctor visits in 2 years

Diabetes is a most formidable enemy. As parents, we will go to any length to keep Marin healthy. We stay on top of this disease because we know that if we don't it will wear her little body down. We give her shots of insulin to keep her alive. We poke her finger even when she begs us not to because her finger tips are too sore. Every day is a battle and inevitably whenever you think you have this disease ready to surrender, it rallies with a vengeance. We are so thankful to have JDRF as an ally in this fight. The research that it funds leads to advances in technology that help us manage the disease and more importantly brings us closer and closer to a cure. Last year was our first year walking and we found it an absolutely incredible experience. You sometimes feel alone when battling the daily ups and downs of this disease, but watching the waves of walkers meander through the UCSD campus let us know that we are anything but alone. The sense of community and knowledge of how much money was being raised in pursuit of a cure was truly invigorating.

allisonAllison, age 8

  • Diagnosed at age 4
  • 10 finger sticks a day; 14,600 since diagnosis
  • 624 pump infusion site changes in 4 years
  • 16 doctor visits since diagnosis
  • 2 hospital visits since diagnosis
  • 1-2 calls per day with the school nurse

“Diabetes has changed my life a lot, but I still feel like a regular kid, just with a pump.”

Diabetes Creates Opportunity for Local Youth


ryan_maloney

Dealing with the challenges of managing a chronic disease is something that Ryan Maloney has done daily. Since contracting Type 1 diabetes at the age of two, Ryan now 9 years old, has had to go through the regimen of blood testing and insulin shots on a daily basis.

Now in a change of fortunes the disease that has challenged him in so many ways has created for him the opportunity to experience a challenge of a different kind.

Ryan, a fourth grader at La Costa Meadows, as a member of Team Insulindependence’s IronKiDz, will work with his fellow team members to prove that they have what it takes to overcome diabetes in the adverse conditions that they are sure to encounter in the wilderness.

Each of the Iron KiDz will be paired with an adult athlete with Type 1 diabetes from Insulindependence’s Triabetes team. The IronKiDz will work with one of the athletes over the course of the summer as they train for the 2008 Wisconsin Ironman.

Following the canoe adventure, the IronKiDz will join their Triabetes mentor at the race site. They’ll discuss last minute diabetes strategies on the eve of the big event, and then implement them on race day. Throughout the Ironman race, IronKiDz will support their mentor by helping to monitor their sugars on the course. At the finish, IronKiDz might even have an opportunity to cross the finish line as a part of the Triabetes documentary!

This full-length HD documentary, shot by an Emmy award-winning film team, is set to premier in the fall. Its purpose is to reveal the physical, mental and emotional struggles of each of the Triabetes team members. The message, people with diabetes are capable of pursuing their greatest dreams in spite of their chronic condition.

As part of his commitment, Ryan has agreed to fund-raise $2,500 to assist the Triabetes Project (www.triabetes.org )

Please help him in his efforts by sending your donation to Insulindependence, c/o Ryan Maloney, 3112 Avenida Olmeda Carlsbad, CA 92009. For more information visit www.insulindependence.org

Newly Diagnosed

A new diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes) can spark a range of reactions, including anger, sadness, and guilt. Whatever your feelings, they are normal, and you are not alone.

Life with type 1 diabetes poses challenges for every member of the family. Whether you have type 1 diabetes yourself, or are the parent or loved one of a person with type 1 diabetes, it takes time to adapt to the day-to-day demands of the disease. But treatment options are improving all the time, and type 1 diabetes will not prevent you or your child or loved one from living a full and active life. With medical and emotional support, people with type 1 diabetes and their families learn to cope with the demands that the disease imposes. Even a child with type 1 diabetes--depending on age--will learn to take over much of his or her care. As time goes by, everyone will gain knowledge and confidence, and be able to celebrate successes, learn from mistakes, and move away from the intense feelings common after diagnosis.

 

About this video: A few JDRF volunteers and staff recently got together to participate in diabetes blogger Kim’s “You Can Do This” Project, and we thought it would make a very appropriate addition to this page

Until research is successful in finding a cure for diabetes, JDRF is committed to providing a more comfortable and higher quality of life for those living with diabetes, especially for the thousands of youth who must daily endure multiple insulin injections, frequent blood testing, stringent diet and exercise requirements, psychological challenges, and the potential for devastating complications.

Bag of Hope Program

The Bag of Hope program contains collections of educational and comforting materials offered by JDRF and its volunteers to meet the immediate needs of newly diagnosed youth and their families. Most of the items included in the collection are the creations of JDRF volunteers who themselves are parents of youth with diabetes. The items included are intended to communicate directly with the youth with diabetes as well as with adults.

The Bag of Hope contains the following items:

  • The book and video You Are Not Alone: A Practical Guide for Managing Diabetes
  • The video JDRF Kids Have Hope
  • Rufus The Bear - a fluffy teddy bear with diabetes
  • The book Rufus The Bear - a childrens story book that tells about the bear, Rufus, and his diabetes
  • The book Taking Diabetes to School - designed for teaching children how to tell their friends about their diabetes
  • The book Sugar Was My Best Friend: Diabetes And Me
  • The book The Kids, Food and Diabetes Family Cookbook
  • The book Parenting a Child with Diabetes
  • A collection of other practical items to assist with the daily management of diabetes

Please contact Janette Shaffer at 858-597-0240 to receive a Bag of Hope.

Other Resources Just For You

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  1. Online Support
  2. Family Network
  3. Family Network Activities

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Upcoming Events


Sat May 25 @10:30AM - 12:30PM
Family Network Event: Fire Station Tour

Thu May 30 @10:00AM - 12:00PM
MOD Squad

Thu May 30 @ 7:00PM - 08:30PM
Just for Parents Coffee - Murrieta

Thu Jun 06 @10:00AM - 12:00PM
MOD Squad

Thu Jun 06 @ 5:00PM -
JDRF Beta Biker Happy Hour

Sun Jun 09 @ 7:00PM - 08:30PM
Just for Parents Coffee - Carlsbad

Wed Jun 12 @ 6:30PM - 08:30PM
ACT 1 - Adults Conquering Type 1 - Mira Mesa

Thu Jun 13 @10:00AM - 12:00PM
MOD Squad

Thu Jun 20 @10:00AM - 12:00PM
MOD Squad

Thu Jun 20 @ 6:00PM - 07:30PM
Just for Parents Coffee - Chula Vista
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