Rylan's Rally

Welcome to our JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes Team Page for Rylan's Rally!  

My name is Rylan Weltz and I am 11 years old.  I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes when I was 7 years old and in the first grade.  I have to poke my finger up to, or at least, six times a day and replace an inset (which helps the insulin get into my body) at least twice a week.  After we did the math that adds up to a minimum of 10,220 needle pokes of one sort or another since the date of my diagnosis.  

We talk alot as a family that it "could be worse" but Type I Diabetes is a chronic disease, especially if I don't keep my blood sugar levels in a "good" or healthy range (between 90 & 150).  The problem with that is even when I'm doing everything I'm supposed to and everything my mom, dad and doctors tell me to do, sometimes I don't have control over what my body is deciding to do.  There are so many things that affect my blood sugar, such as being anxious before a game, too little or too much exercise, not enough sleep and growth spurts.  As much as my parents hate to see me grow up, that is definitely something I have no control over!  Therefore, I can't always control, or keep, my blood sugar levels within a range that everyone defines as "healthy".  

When we were writing this letter, my mom asked me what frustrated me most about having diabetes.  Aside from all the needle poking, I don't like it when people always ask me, "are you supposed to have that piece of candy?"  I also don't like having to count all the carbs I'm eating.  While everyone else is sitting down to eat I am often waiting for my mom or dad to measure or weigh what I have on my plate.  

My biggest worry about having diabetes is losing an arm or leg due to poor blood sugar control but as I mentioned above, as hard as my family and I try to regulate it, there are too many things out of my control.  That is why we are hoping for a cure and doing our part to try and raise funds so that JDRF can achieve its goal of improving the lives of all people affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D) by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D.

There are several different ways that you can help me this year!

• You can come walk with me and my family at the "Walk to Cure Diabetes" in Missoula, Montana at Dornblaser Field on April 21, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.  There's nothing more fun than having all my family and friends with me (please make sure you bring as many cousins as possible!) =) 
• You can send a tax deductible contribution in any amount payable to JDRF to our home address:  P.O. Box 75, Noxon, Montana  59853-0075.  We will be happy to deliver your donation to JDRF the day of the Walk.
• You can go online to "www.jdrf.org" to donate.  Go to the "Get Involved" tab; Click on "Walk to Cure"; Find the two Walks in Montana; choose "Billings"; from there you can search for a team.  My team name this year is "Rylan's Rally"!  Feel free to donate under MY name and not my sister (Delaney) or my dad or any of my other teammates!  It all goes to the same place anyway!