Madi's Mob

Welcome to our Madi's Mob JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes Team Page!  

Madelyn was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 10:36 a.m.  I brought her to her pediatricians? office, where I work as a registered nurse, on that Saturday morning with symptoms of what I was certain would be a UTI.  I was sure we would leave the doctor?s office with a script for an antibiotic.  Instead, we left with tears, pain, heartache, and the abrupt end of what we never realized was her ?easy? life.  Of course, at 5 years old, she had no idea what was happening to her.  We were on our way to Albany Medical Center having no idea how our lives were about to change.  After several hours, and a few tests and exams, I watched my skinny, little, beautiful, five year daughter get her first dose of insulin injected into her leg.  I will never forget that moment.  She cried, and I cried.  She was found a room on the pediatric floor, surrounded by wallpaper with balloons and animals; and there we stayed for 2 nights.  She would have round-the-clock fingersticks, and insulin injections, and a whole new way of life.  On Monday morning, we were introduced to a diabetic educator, who would grow to be our lifeline for the next several weeks.  We would talk daily about numbers and ratios and carbs and needles, and insulin, and ketones, and glucagon - all now part of our everyday language.  

Before her diagnosis, she was a beautiful kindergarten student, who loved cheerleading with her all-star team, swimming, playing video games with her two older brothers, running around her school playground, and having playdates with her friends.  We wondered if she would ever be able to do any of those things again. 

In Madi?s own words, ?I don?t like having diabetes.  I don?t like poking my fingers.  I don?t like getting needles.  But, it doesn?t hurt anymore.  At first all my friends were scared.  Now only some of my friends are scared.  I don?t like waking up in the middle of the night to do my fingerstick.  And I HATE Smarty Parties, especially in the middle of the night!  But I DO like that I get to still be a cheerleader.  I just need to check my sugar a lot during practice.  I like going to Gabby?s house, but I don?t like that I can?t stay too long because of my diabetes.  I like when I can take my pump off and swim in the pool.  And the BEST part is that the boys (her brothers) call me a ?math genius.??   

Last year, she approached her school staff to organize a school-wide walk to benefit JDRF.  We live in a Cohoes, NY, where a majority of our population is at or below poverty level.  I?ve heard us referred to as ?a small city with big city problems.?  Over seventy-five percent of her elementary school gets free or reduced lunches.  Her school raised $500 to donate to JDRF.  What an accomplishment for her little school!   Madelyn also is a huge fan of the American Girl Doll book series, and dolls.  She wrote a letter to the makers of the American Girl Dolls.  Her letter stated, in her own words and spelling, ?to The American girl doll makrs. Can you mak a diabetic girl doll with a pump and a site. she needs holes in her belly and tushy to put her site. She also needs a glucometr to chek her blood sugr. she totally needs a braclit so peple will know she is diabetic. frum (with a backwards f) Madelyn Marer. I have Type 1 Diabetes.?  I sent it to their customer service address, but sadly have gotten no response.

A cure for Type 1 Diabetes is not important for ME.  A cure is important for Madelyn, and her friends, and her future spouse, and the children she may have.  I need a cure for HER, so that that her friends can just have fun and not worry about her health and safety, so that her future spouse won?t have to worry about her inevitably failing health, so that her children will never have to worry about the possibility of them getting diabetes.  I ask for your support in our quest - to raise funds for the continued research into creating an artificial pancreas, and immune therapy drugs.  Because there is no cure for Type 1 Diabetes, please help continue the research into treating it.

When I was younger, I remember a family member telling us of the time when he had polio.  My dream is for Madelyn?s grandchildren to have that memory, hearing about the times she had when she used to have Type 1 Diabetes.

Will you accept the challenge to make a difference by walking with us? All we need you to do is click on the "Join this Team" button, make a donation, and begin fundraising. It?s simple, fast, and fun!

Thank you for your support, and we?ll see you on May 5, 2013, on Madelyn's 18 month anniversary, on WALK DAY!