The Briggs Brood

Welcome to our JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes Team Page!  

Here is our story:

     Ethan went to his regular 11 year wellness check-up on May 21, 2012.  I told the doctor about his frequent urinating and excessive thirst.  I had just chalked it up to being an active growing boy in the Springtime.  Well we leave the office with a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and a mandatory three day stay at the hospital. 

     It happened so fast.  The information and counselling given at the hospital was overwhelming at times.  Then we were sent home to live the next chapter in our lives, but we weren't sure that we knew what we were doing.

     At the hospital, they set us up with a JDRF mentor family.  They contacted us immediately and helped us through that first week.  They answered and helped direct us to answers of all the questions that we did not think to ask in the hospital.  Then shortly after that my son attended a diabetes camp that was partially funded by JDRF that was free to him and a friend.  There he was able to have fun, while learning more about the disease.

     Since then we have attended group support meetings where we are learning more of what JDRF does.  We learned that they are doing islet cell transplants, and the people receiving them don't have to take insulin everyday for every meal.  That is HUGE!  When I heard that, I had hope for more research and eventually a CURE!

We are taking steps to help JDRF 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. By joining our Walk Team and making a donation, you will be helping us to raise funds to directly support research with the greatest potential to conquer this disease.

We are motivated by the courage and perseverance of those facing the everyday challenges of type 1 diabetes - they are the reason we challenge ourselves to give more, to do more, to achieve more. We challenge ourselves to make a real difference in the lives of those with T1D.  

May God bless this endeavor and the research done by JDRF!!  May He bless you for your prayers and charitable help!