By Samantha R Evensen
Cindy Brown, mother of 10- year-old Olivia Brown, is doing everything she can to help raise awareness for Type 1 Diabetes. Her daughter has been struggling to manage this ailment since she was diagnosed at 19 months old. Type 1 Diabetes is an auto-immune disease where a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that makes is possible for the body to get energy from food. The insulin is essential in order to stay alive. It is a taxing job trying to maintain a good blood sugar level and comes with many concerns and potential risks for every high and low blood sugar reading. “It can really wear on your family and be stressful at times, but it’s mostly tough for her,” says Brown.
In January Cindy will be running in the Disney Marathon for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). She hopes that with her efforts and the donations of others she’ll be able to reach her goal of raising $1000.
Two years ago Cindy rode 100 miles for the JDRF in Vermont. She raised money that helped develop fast acting insulin, the insulin pump, the fast reading glucometer, and the continuous glucose monitor, all of which her daughter benefits from. The JDRF is now creating an artificial pancreas which is implanted under the skin and takes the place of the glucometer and insulin pump.
All Cindy wants is a better life for her daughter where she doesn’t have to constantly be thinking about the disease.
If you’d like to help Cindy reach her goal and contribute to the cure of Type 1 Diabetes, a small donation is all that’s needed. If 50 people donate $20 then Brown will have reached her goal.
For those who would like to donate, please make your checks out to the Tampa Bay Charter, 9600 Koger Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL 33702 and in the check memo please credit the donation to Cindy Brown for the Disney Marathon 2013.
For more information on Type 1 Diabetes, you can visit the JDRF website at JDRF.com.
