I am taking a break from Friday Eye Candy for a very worthwhile cause. I have a story to tell you and I hope you will take a moment to read it. We all encounter things in our lives that cause us to pause. Then there are moments in life that cause us to stop dead in our tracks and leave us breathless. They leave us wondering how to take the next step. How to help the ones we love. How to just survive. Such a moment has become a way of life for a very dear friend of mine, Danielle. This is a story of parents and their child. It is also a story of little friends doing very big things to help. Meet Jack and his twin sister Scarlett. They are scrumptious. 
Here is a little bit of Jack’s story written from the heart of a mommy. . . Jack’s mommy, Dani {danielle} ..…………………..…. jack’s story Jack has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for one year and two months. He has yet to complain about it. His finger is pricked to check his blood sugars 15-20 times a day…and he let’s us do it with a smile on his face. He has been hospitalized four times this year and still laughs with the same intensity any other 3.5 year old does. Jack lives with his diabetes the way that every other kid lives their daily lives — he just keeps chugging along. Because he was diagnosed so young, it seems he has forgotten what life was like before Type 1 Diabetes. For that we are blessed. But as his parents, we struggle a bit more. We worry. Will Jack be ok? We are constantly checking his blood sugars, waking up 3-12 times a night to treat with juice or correct his highs with extra insulin. We sit in the parking lot at school….waiting to test his sugars at the break to make sure he won’t drop too low while away from home. We count every carb he puts in his mouth and watch every bit of activity he engages in…calculating, assessing…where are his sugars at this moment? It’s a balance…trying not to test too much while making sure to catch every low and almost every high. We caught his sugar at 27 last week (kids are known to seize in the 30s) — what would have happened if we hadn’t tested at that moment? We try so hard to not get ahead of ourselves, but it is a daily struggle. We won’t sleep a full night until our little boy is cured. 
Mike and Dani with their twins Scarlett and Jack And they do not sleep at night. They recently vacationed with a family who witnessed for the first time how very difficult it is for Dani and Mike to be up throughout the night checking on Jack, many times on the phone with the doctor in the middle of the night. Their lives have changed. They are completely focused on the health of their sweet little boy and finding a cure. 
{jack, sporting his superman shirt, is pictured here with his twin sister and the founders of Duct Tape for Diabetes!} After vacationing with Jack and his family and experiencing just how hard it is to live with juvenile Type 1 Diabetes, Sam and her two brothers {Grant and Chase} have started a business! They have always loved making things from duct tape and now do it in an effort to raise money to go towards finding a cure for their sweet little friend and all of the other children who are living with Type 1 Diabetes. And the best part of all of this is that 100% of the proceeds are donated to JDRF {Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation}. Their new business venture is called Duct Tape for Diabetes. You can visit them here. ..……………….a mother’s words My dear friend, Dani {Jack’s mom} recently wrote this to me. I asked her if I could share it with you: “It’s amazing because I would not have thought this before having a special needs child …but the nicest, kindest thing anyone can do for me at this point is to help me in my quest to find him a cure. Whatever way that is {spreading the word about fundraising, walking with me at the walk, donating, supporting JDRF etc}. I would rather have a friend do that than any other thing they could do for me. Does that make sense? My world is my family and one of them needs something that I cant give him. It really is heart wrenching. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing this…” – Dani I know that we all have many causes near and dear to our hearts. Today I thank you for letting me share and for getting the word out about Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes. If you or someone you know might want to make a donation from a purchase at Duct Tape for Diabetes this family and families across the world will thank you. And truly, who doesn’t need a little duct tape flower or bracelet?! I really can’t think of why that wouldn’t make you smile each time you looked at it. I am sporting the pink/black zebra cuff. Oh, and by the way. These are made totally by little hands and custom orders are available {you can pick your tape pattern!}. 
Go here to Duct Tape for Diabetes to make a donation 
{a button just in case you want to spread the love} ………………….. And if you have a moment, stop on by the blog Monday for some announcements from Casey Grace Design
I have type 2, but I can't imagine what it's like for someone so young. Thank you for sharing their story!
Courtney, thank you so much for sharing this story. We will be adding their button to our blog at 11MagnoliaLane and I will include a write up to help pass the word for them next week. My family also has an insulin dependant diabetic (type 1), and though he wasn't diagnosed as young its a constant struggle. Diabetes gets less funding and attention then many other serious conditions despite serious long-term health ramifications. My heart aches for them with the constant testing required for someone so young, how brave he is and how strong and loving those parents are. We too pray for a cure.
Amy
Amy, thank you so much for your comment and for sharing part of your famiy's struggle. It means so so much that you will share the button and shed more light on this. THANK YOU!!!
Isn't it amazing what little hands can do!? Thank you for sharing this story!
Oh how sweet is this. Little friends are the sweetest. Much love to your friends.
Addie and I can't wait to rock our matching bracelets! My heart goes out to your friends!
You girls are amazing. Addie rockin' the world in her bracelet makes me giggle.
My little brother was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was only two. It was so hard to help him because he didn't understand why so suddenly his life changed so drastically. He didn't understand why his parents were giving him multiple shots a day- I remember he used to hide in his closet hoping he wouldn't be found, to protect himself. Although science has come a long way since the 20 years he was diagnosed, he couldn't have second helpings of anything unless it was planned for in advance. I remember as a young child trying to sneak him corn from my dinner plate because he wanted an extra helping, but would have to wait half an hour for the extra insulin to kick in to have a second helping. It literally breaks my heart when I think of the injustice of it all. My parents were the absolute best parents in the world, for they changed everything to make his life as normal as it could be. They started their own system for logging his daily blood sugars and every single spec of food he put in his mouth- a system that caught on they were making hundreds of log books a week for other families with diabetic children. My parents would scour the neighborhood on the day of Halloween each year, passing out sugar free candy, gum, and fruit that our neighbors could give my little brother and myself when we came to their door, so he wouldn't feel left out. My parents also waited for him at school, every recess break and every lunchtime, to calculate every detail of his existence. They took sugar out of our home completely, many times waiting until the kids were asleep to make a midnight run for milkshakes. My mom and dad almost never vacationed alone, because so few knew how to care for him completely other than themselves. We went to diabetic camp, with other families who had children with this type of diabetes, to learn how to care for my brother. As a first grader I learned how to treat a seizure, because I had seen them all too many times and was helpless. At age 10 he had a seizure at an overnight space camp, so embarrassed when he fell from his bunk bed at the shakes in the middle of the night in front of his friends. At age 20 my brother moved across the country and spent time in the ICU in a diabetic coma. My parents were not allowed to visit him and it was so hard for them, because they had given every ounce of attention to his well being for 18 years, and now it was out of their control. These are the tough realities of both the parents and the children struggling with Juvenile Diabetes.
It's a heart-wrenching life for everyone involved, and my heart goes out to your friends. My brother will always know though, how much he is loved. How can he not when so much extra care was taken specifically to make him as healthy as any other kid? He has an incredible relationship with my parents, and he has turned out to be an incredible young adult. Never once in my life have I heard him complain about any of it. Never once has he asked, 'why me'? It seems your friends are just the same caliber of parents that mine are, and what a lucky boy to have such a family.
I commend the children in their cause!! An incredible showmanship of selflessness-I will definitely be purchasing from Duct Tape Diabetes- it's a cause worth donating to! My brother is married now, healthy and happy. There is normalcy- it just takes more effort to reach! I believe that this sort of lifestyle was only given to those whom God knew could handle the hardship with such courage. What strong young ones they are!
What a touching story – thank you for sharing! My husband's brother also was diagnosed with T1DM at the young age of 2. I work in Type 1 Diabetes research in an effort to prevent the onset of the disease, learn as much about the natural history of the disease and try and find medications that will cure or reverse the progression of the disease. It is stories like this that keep me motivated to work hard every day. If you have any questions or are interested in any of our clinical research trials, visit http://www.diabetestrialnet.org/.
This is amazing! My best friend died from diabetes when we were fourteen and we do the Walk for Diabetes in Columbus every year in memory of him! Such a touching story.
My mother-in-law suffered from diabetes, and lived with me, my husband, and young family until she passed away from complications from the disease. I commend these friends for helping their buddy. Thank you so much for sharing their story.
Thank you for sharing this story! As the mother of a six year old who has type 1, hearing your friend's story brought tears to my eyes. Dealing with the highs and lows and worrying about the ups and downs of this disease, I can relate to your friend and all of the heartache that accompanies taking care of her son. My greatest wish is that a cure be found in my daughter's lifetime. I commend Jack's friends for starting a business to raise money and awareness about an often forgotten cause. I think it is safe to say that until a cure is found, parents of T1D children will never have a restful night of sleep.
I can't even imagine if my kids weren't healthy! I thank God for it every single day. Thank you for this story and the link!!
I can't wait to check out the link…what a story. Shows the strength and will that appears when a parent is challenged. What a sweet family and what a great friend you are to use your "voice" to bring attention to this cause.
Thank you for sharing this story Courtney. So touching. My heart goes out to Jack and his family. I'll pop over and make a donation. Such a great cause.
What a wonderful and heart-breaking story Courtney — thank you SO much for sharing! I was about to share the link with a friend whose 6 year old daughter has T1D and then I noticed she (Dakota) had already read and commented. My mother-in-law has it, too, so we know what this disease can mean for your health. I'll be sending the information on to her as well as I'm sure she will be touched by these little generous fundraisers. 🙂
What thoughtful children you have! My nine year old son has Type 1 Diabetes, he was diagnosed at 5. He is a true champion with all that he goes through. We have tried to make his life as 'normal' as we possibly can. His insulin pump is the best thing ever. Your friend and her family are in our thoughts. Roz
This hits so close to home because there is a lot of diabetes in my family…my brother in law was diagnosed at 14…but dang, no where near 3! I can't even imagine…I already know what he goes through and I can't even imagine it with a toddler. So touched by the sweet gesture of the duct tape fun! (c: Those are some sweet kiddos.
Thank you so much for sharing this story and the link. I can't imagine how hard that would be as a parent, and I am so grateful each and every day for the health of my little babes. Hugs to your friend, their family will be in my thoughts and I pray a cure is in his future.
xo,
Jen
What a super special little boy. I wanted to come back and read this post because I could tell it was important. His parents must be exhausted- and so proud of Jack.. I will help contribute.
I have just come across this post. Thank you so much for sharing Jack's story. Like many others who have responded I am the mum of an 18 year old boy/man who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a week before his 18th birthday. To keep things interesting, my boy also has Autism Spectrum Disorder with quite poor communication skills, as well as suffering from unexplained seizures when he was younger. I am so proud of him and it has become part of our ritual for me to say "You are so brave. The bravest boy in the whole wide world". And he is brave as he does his own finger pricking to test his levels as well as actually administering the insulin himself. A pump is not suitable for him as he is unable to work out how much insulin he needs, so he is on the same amount of insulin every day.
When he wants extra, he only has to be reminded of how he felt when his blood was making him sick and he quickly puts any extra portions away.
I worry for him when I'm not with him as having a hypo or hyper may go undetected with those around him putting any related behaviour down to his autism rather than his glucose levels.
I dream of a cure. Research is so absolutely vital. Jack, Dani and their family are blessed to have such wonderful friends in their lives. Best of luck with your fundraising.