2010 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk To Cure Diabetes

[LadyBug]

Hello all! Some of you may remember me(and my yearly JDRF thread.....), some of you may not. I'm Anna, and I've had type 1(or juvenile) diabetes for almost 6 years, and every March I Walk To Cure diabetes with my local JDRF chapter.

This is a copy of the letter I'm sending out this year-

[align=center]“[/i]Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.”[/i]
~Anon[/align]

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Dear Friends and Family,

It’s amazing how fast 12 months can go by! I just turned (sweet!)16 and am a sophomore in high school. I also just got a new insulin pump that doesn’t have tubing, which is great. The insulin reservoir is right in the housing of the i .v. needle (more of a teeny straw, actually.), eliminating the need for tubes!

The other ‘amazing’ thing I’ve been thinking about is how much can change with one word-be it a good change (‘love’ or ‘God’) or bad (‘diabetes’). The older I get the more I realize how much changed when I was diagnosed almost 6 years ago. It gets a little scary when I think about how much diabetes has changed my life already and just how much it will continue to do so until we find a cure.

You’d think after about 10,175 finger pricks, 2100 shots and about 780 i.v.s for my insulin pumps, I’d be used to it, but a bad needle can still bring me to tears very fast-it would figure my pain threshold is hovering around -1! Of course, just when I get to feeling really sorry for myself I remember all the other kids and teens with diabetes-at last count, 15,000 new cases per year[/i]-and then I feel sorry for all of us! Most Type 1 Diabetics are diagnosed before the age of 18 and it isn’t uncommon for children as young as 2 years to be diagnosed. Just this last year my little cousin Keenun, on my maternal grandfather’s side, was diagnosed with diabetes! The statistics are sad and very hard to wrap your mind around, but when it’s someone you know…..it makes the numbers personal. It isn’t always a happy feeling, realizing people you know and love are hurting, but it does make you all the more determined to find the answer!

This is my favorite time of year, though. Getting out there and doing something to help find our cure is so empowering and it makes me feel so much better! This year, in addition to this Walk Letter, I’m starting an e-mail campaign to try to reach more people and make it easier for others to fundraise with me. Brighthouse Networks is our corporate sponsor this year and they have filmed a PSA[Public Service Announcement] for the JDRF Walk that will be on TVs that use Brighthouse for cable….and I’m in it! So if you see someone on your TV and you’re thinking “that looks like Anna…” well, it might be! The whole [JDRF] chapter is very excited about this since it’s the most publicity we’ve ever gotten. Want to help? Here’s how you[/i] can make a difference:

*Donate! You can send a check or cash in the enclosed, self-addressed envelope, or donate online at http://www.jdrf.org. Three easy steps: 1. Click on the green walk sneaker (middle of the page). 2. Locate “donate to a walker” and fill in Anna C. , Anna’s Hope, FL. 3. Click on Anna C. and then “donate to this walker”. All donations are flat-rate and tax deductible.

*Help me with my e-mail campaign by sending it to your friends, family and people you work with! I’m even working on a video for it! Just PM me your e-mail and I'll send it to you.
* Pray about it! He tells us “I am the Lord who heals you” (Ex. 15:26)-we just have to ask him! He will answer all of our prayers, even if it’s not as soon as we’d like!

I’m asking for your help for myself and all the millions of kids, teens and adults like me, who have to deal with diabetes and the complications it brings. Not only the extra health problems that we’re more prone to develop, but also the emotional strain it brings. Especially as a kid or teen, the way others view and treat you matters. When people look at you or talk to you like you’re a freak just because you have a disease that’s beyond your control it really, really hurts. You wonder if anyone will want to be friends with you, and then you get a little older and you start worrying about who’s going to want to date a diabetic. There are more repercussions from having this disease than you can imagine. More than most of us with it can imagine at one time even. My team name is Anna’s Hope because it’s my greatest hope that someday soon we’ll live in a world without diabetes and all its complications. I want the small children, like my cousin Keenun, who are being diagnosed everyday to know what its like to live without diabetes.



Love to you all and God bless!

Anna (+the rest of the team!)

[/i]



I uploaded the PSA from Brighthouse to youtube, you can see it [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBuX2NU7uTI]here[/ame].

This is a direct link to my JDRF Page.

And this is my Twitter page-I put mostly diabetes stuff up,but some other stuff too.

I'll be continually updating this with all the news from Anna's Hope:biggrin2:.


If anyone would like to go on the mailing list to get the hard-copy of the letter every year, please PM me.


Thanks for reading!

:wave:Anna





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[JadeIcing]

I read this and it brings tears to my eyes you are an amazing girl.

 

[LadyBug]

JadeIcing wrote:

I read this and it brings tears to my eyes you are an amazing girl.

awwwwww! Thank you, you are always say the sweetest things Aliink iris:!

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

That is a great letter, Anna!
I wish I could come down to Florida to do the walk with you!!

Emily

 

[LadyBug]

BlueSkyAcresRabbitry wrote:

That is a great letter, Anna!
I wish I could come down to Florida to do the walk with you!!

Emily

Thanks! It would be so cool if you could come:dude:!

 

[LadyBug]

Finally finished the video I've been working on for YouTube, as part of my e-mail campaign! Had a scare with WindowsMovieMaker, refusing to save it, but OneTrueMedia.com saved the day, LOL! I spent two hours on the website today(in addition to countless hours working on the slides-picnik.com is my new best friend), and ended up with [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR2uSZFTEsw]this[/ame]. Let me know what ya'll think!

 

[JadeIcing]

LadyBug wrote:

Finally finished the video I've been working on for YouTube, as part of my e-mail campaign! Had a scare with WindowsMovieMaker, refusing to save it, but OneTrueMedia.com saved the day, LOL! I spent two hours on the website today(in addition to countless hours working on the slides-picnik.com is my new best friend), and ended up with this. Let me know what ya'll think!

:highfive:Amazing as always going to post to my facebook if you don't mind.

If I have a daughter someday I would be proud if she turned out like you.:hug:

 

[LadyBug]

JadeIcing wrote:

LadyBug wrote:

Finally finished the video I've been working on for YouTube, as part of my e-mail campaign! Had a scare with WindowsMovieMaker, refusing to save it, but OneTrueMedia.com saved the day, LOL! I spent two hours on the website today(in addition to countless hours working on the slides-picnik.com is my new best friend), and ended up with this. Let me know what ya'll think!

:highfive:Amazing as always going to post to my facebook if you don't mind.

If I have a daughter someday I would be proud if she turned out like you.:hug:

No, it would be great if you posted to facebook-it's one of the reasons I wanted to do the video, so that people who might not see the e-mail will still see it-so thanks:highfive:! And awwww:hug:ink iris:

 

[LadyBug]

It's amazing what a little toe surgery can do to your projects! I had the have the sides cut out, which has completely diverted my attention, but with the walk only 4 days away, it's time to get back to business!

My donations grand total is currently $735!!!! and donations are still accepted and coming in!!!!!!

I really can't believe walk day is so close and has come so fast! My team has shrunk, a lot of my walkers from past years have either moved[one of my BFFs], had to take new jobs with different hours[1/2ish of the adults in my life who have walked before] or have sporting events they have to play in or be at[another two girlfriends]. But my grandparents are still coming and as long as nothing happens between now and then my guy bff is going to be there, which is really cool because every other year he's had soccer, so this will be his[and his parents] first time. Oh, and mom + little sis.....can't forget them!



:run::run::run::run::run::run:I'm gearing up, lol!:run::run::run::run::run::run::run: