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Join the Ketone Krushers!
My 8-year-old daughter Nicole was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. This past Mothers' Day started off as any normal day, but ended in a diagnosis that will change our lives forever. During the previous week, we had noticed that Nicole was using the bathroom quite frequently. By Saturday night she was getting up every 15-20 minutes to use the bathroom. Knowing that this was in no way normal, I took her to InstaCare Sunday morning. I was expecting to be sent home within a matter of minutes with a prescription for antibiotics to treat a urinary tract infection.
Shortly after we arrived at InstaCare, The doctor came in to talk to us and informed us that there was no sign of infection in Nicole's urine, but that it did contain a large amount of glucose. He began to talk to us about the possibility that she could have diabetes. A simple blood test (that only took about a minute to run) was all it took to make the diagnosis. She was admitted to the hospital where many tears were shed, many prayers were said, and many hugs were given. We learned how to poke fingers, count carbs, and administer shots of insulin.
Over the past month I feel like we have made huge strides in learning to deal with our new reality. Things we took for granted in the past are now looked at in a whole new light. It broke my heart the first time I heard Nicole tell her sisters, "You're so lucky. You get to eat without getting a shot." I am amazed at how strong she has become. Her knowledge and capacity to understand her diagnosis constantly astounds me. In less than a week after her diagnosis she began monitoring her own blood sugar, drawing up her own insulin, counting her carb intake at meals, and recognizing her body's highs and lows.
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 cannot be managed merely with diet, exercise, and oral medication. It strikes suddenly without reason, making its victims dependant on insulin for life. Despite valiant efforts in controlling blood glucose levels, Nicole will be at risk for serious complications over time including: seizures, coma, heart disease, kidney disease, nerve-damage, blindness, stroke, or even early death.
Nicole is now required to receive an injection of insulin every time she eats and before going to bed. She has to prick her finger and check her sugar levels 5-7 times daily. That equals 1,825 injections, and up to 2,555 finger-pokes every year for the rest of her life UNLESS A CURE IS FOUND.
Our family is taking the steps to help achieve JDRF’s mission: to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. We have created a family team called Ketone Krushers that will participate in the annual JDRF Walk to a Cure. We would love for you to Join our team and help us make a difference. The money our JDRF Walk Team raises will go directly to support this life-changing research.
The JDRF Walk is a fantastic way to make a difference in the millions of lives of people affected by type 1 diabetes. For at least that one day, they will look around and see all the support they have from their friends, family and community. On Walk Day, everyone can have fun and celebrate how much closer to a cure we are because of their efforts.
This is our first year participating in this event, so we would love to raise awareness. Let’s get the word out – JDRF has made huge strides toward finding a cure. If I could get my family and friends to donate amount they can and pass the word on to 10 of your friends, imagine the impact we could have! My dream is to end up with a huge team of walkers so that Nicole can look around and see that she’s not alone, she is loved, and she has lots of support. Post my plea to your FaceBook; feel free to Tweet about it with joy, Blog, E-mail, or Text your buddies; and don’t forget snail-mail for grandma. With the support of people like you, I truly believe a cure will be found in Nicole’s lifetime. Please see the attached letter to see how you can help our team.
Thank you,
The Ellsworth Family
Help our family “Krush” our Ketones on August 20th, 2011.
What’s a Ketone, and why does it need to be crushed?
Ketones are just one of many things that a diabetic child needs to monitor and keep in check on a regular basis. When a body has an insufficient amount of insulin to help transport the glucose out of the blood and into cells for fuel, it will go into energy crisis mode. The body then goes to the next available source of energy: stored body fat. Burning fat produces ketones, which are toxic to body cells. Sustained high levels of ketones in the body can be extremely dangerous or even fatal.
• Join our family team by collecting pledges*, and walking with us on August 20th at Wheeler Farm. There is no limit to the number of walkers per team. Our thoughts are the more the merrier! You can sign up as a member of our team at http://jdrf.org, click get involved, and then click walk to cure diabetes. You can also contact me directly for more information or with questions – [email protected] or (801) 498-7926.
*The goal is to have every walking member of our team raise at least $100 in pledges.
• If you’d like to support our team but you can’t walk with us, you can purchase a Ketone Krushers T-shirt to wear with pride. They will be black shirts featuring our team logo. T-shirts are $8.50 and are available in Youth sizes S-XL, and Adult sizes S-4XL. They will be printed by a JDRF vendor and all proceeds will go toward the cause. If you’d like to purchase a T-shirt to show your support, send cash or check made payable to me along with quantity and sizes desired.
• Make a tax-deductible contribution of any amount via cash or check. Checks would be made payable to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and can be sent directly to my house (email me for my address), or you can make a credit/debit card contribution online by visiting http://jdrf.org. Please search for Ketone Krushers, Utah and contribute to her walk. The goal is to have every member of the team raise at least $100 in contributions, so click on your favorite walker so they can get credit for your pledge.
• Forward this link to any family members or friends that you think would like to get involved. The more people we inform, the better our chances are of finding a cure.
Thank you in advance. We really appreciate your support!
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