Student Spotlight: Violet
I’m Violet and I am nine years old. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) on January 19, 2009. At the time, I was in kindergarten. I was very tired and grouchy. I cried a lot, and my mom knew something wasn’t right. My parents took me to Children’s Hospital in Boston, and they told us I had T1D. I was in the hospital for a week to get better and to learn how to take care of T1D. It was hard to take shots every time I ate, so sometimes I told my mom that I wasn’t hungry. That wasn’t a good choice! Soon I got an insulin pump and started to check my blood sugar by myself. I felt much better, but it was still hard knowing that I was different than everyone else at school. Everyone asked me questions all the time, and I didn’t like to answer them. My mom had a great idea to educate all the kids in school. She contacted JDRF, and we decided to do a Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes at my school.
On kick-off day, my mom and I talked to all the students about T1D. She explained what it is, and I told them how I feel about it. I showed them how to check blood sugar and how my insulin pump delivers my insulin. It was really cool, because they were all interested in me. Then we had a Walk at the school, and all my classmates walked with me. It made me feel special that everyone would help to find a cure for my disease, and I felt better that everyone knew more about T1D. That first year, my school raised more than $3,000 to help kids like me!
Now T1D is part of my life. I am a regular kid—just with a little extra work. I like pizza and popsicles. I am on the swim team, and I want to run track. I can do everything my friends can do, with a little more planning. My family created a Walk team called “Sweet Violets,” and they walk with me each year to raise money for T1D research. We are planning another Kids Walk at my school this year. I hope that this year you will join me in helping to find a cure for T1D.
Violet
Parents and Students!
Sign up for your school’s Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes!
Find your school by first selecting your state:
School Representatives!
Get your school involved in Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes!
REGISTERYOUR SCHOOL OR GET MORE
INFORMATION
JDRF is excited to shine the Kids Walk School Spotlight on Hartford School in Mount Laurel, NJ. Hartford is home to almost 1,000 fifth- and sixth-grade students, and this school year will mark the fifth year that the school has participated in the JDRF Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes Program. The bond between Hartford School and JDRF was formed during the 2008-09 school year, when there were seven students with type 1 diabetes (T1D)...
