REMEMBERING CHRIS, OUR 17-YEAR-OLD THAT WAS TAKEN TOO SUDDENLY AND TOO YOUNG. He would have been 23 this year.

We walk to raise awareness of how fast type 1 diabetes can sneak up on a person and take them away. There is no "fee" to walk; but we love when people donate to help find a cure! 

We didn't know that an infection could cause the body to suddenly stop producing insulin. We didn't know it was possible to "get" type 1 diabetes at 17! We thought you were either born with T1D, or ended up with type 2 diabetes after years of  bad health choices.  We didn't know the signs of high blood sugar because Chris wasn't diabetic until an infection caused diabetic keto acidosis (dka). We don't want our story to be someone else's story too. 

Chris collapsed and an ambulance was called. That's when we found out his blood sugar was over 800. The hospital kept telling us Chris was very sick, but would be okay. He wasn't a diabetic that ignored his condition, he was just a boy with strep throat and a stomach bug that wouldn't get better like it should. We thought. 

He was supposed to recover, and we were going to learn about diabetes together

I won't trouble you with the horrible things we will never un-see and un-hear. After 8 hours, Chris' lungs and heart gave out on him. Our baby boy was gone. The hospital tried to revive him for 45 minutes, until I was able to choke out the word "stop". We didn't know you can't just nod your head, or agree when the Dr tells you there is no coming back at this point, that he was brain dead and his organs were too far gone after so long. 

You have to actually SAY the word "stop". It was from the autopsy that it was confirmed Chris suddenly had type 1 diabetes. 

Learn the signs here so it doesn't happen to you or someone you love

 http://www.testonedrop.org/