Eight years ago, when we found out I was pregnant with our first child, my husband and I were overjoyed! We immediately began planning for our new addition...and of course, we started dreaming of what life would be like with a new baby! Fast forward 9 months and our beautiful baby girl was born! Our dreams of a happy life with this precious little person had become reality! Our home was now filled with tiny baby stuff and the sweet sound of her little coos, squeals, and giggles! Our hearts were filled with love! This new life was everything we had dreamed of and more!
As she grew from the tiny little baby into a sweet and imaginative toddler, she began to have her own dreams. Like many other little girls, she dreamed of being a princess. She spent her days playing dress up and pretending to be Cinderella, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty! Then just a few months after her 2nd birthday she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Her carefree life and dreams were now interrupted by frequent finger pokes to check her blood sugar, waiting for her meals and snacks to be carefully measured out to determine the carb count, and being stuck multiple times each day for her insulin injections...all of this now a necessity in order to survive. We couldn't help but wonder why...this was definitely not part of any of our dreams!
Our experiences over the past 5 years have definitely changed our dreams! Our little girl still dreams about being a princess and we still dream of all the special moments to look forward to as she gets older...but these moments look a little different now. So...we have another dream now...a BIG dream! Our dream is that one day these moments won't have to include blood sugar checks, carb counting and insulin. Our dream is for a CURE to be found for type 1 diabetes!
Fortunately, we know that this dream can come true! A cure for type 1 diabetes is a very real possibility within our little girl's lifetime! So while we're waiting...we'll continue to do our part by sharing our story and raising awareness about this disease and the need for its cure!
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog through a comment you left on Laura's blog. My name's Connie and I have two daughters who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 11 months apart from each other.
Miss E was 2 years old at the time of her diagnosis and our other daughter, Lil Miss C was diagnosed when she was just 18 months old.
Your post really resonates with me, I clearly remember all of the dreams we too had before diabetes entered our lives and I can honostly say that I never imagined diabetes would be a part of our daily vocabulary. We still have our dreams...we just make sure that diabetes fits into those dreams. But like you, one of our greatest dreams is that of a cure!
Our family served as the 2010 Ambassador Family for JDRF's Walk To Cure Diabetes in our state, this is the best way I know how...besides blogging, to make that dream a reality. Raising awareness and raising money to help us someday see the cure that we all hope for.
I am looking forward to getting to know more about you and your family through your blog! You can find me over at hopeandbeginnings.blogspot.com.
Hi Michelle - - thanks for the comment today. I look forward to reading your blog and getting to know you and your family.
ReplyDeleteYour header is making my mouth water!! :)
Dream a little dream for me....
ReplyDeleteMy oldest daughter (7 1/2) was dx in 7/05, at the age of 24 months.
The dream of a cure has been constant...but, lately, I've felt a new dream building in this Candy Heart of mine:
No child on any surface of this earth should die because they cannot access insulin.
Hi Michelle! I also found you through Laura. :)
ReplyDeleteWe share the same dream. Until the dream becomes reality, though, I am so glad that we all have each other to lean on and learn from. :)
I look forward to getting to know you better through your blog.
Thanks to you all ladies! You're comments are helping to make me feel very warmly welcomed into the DOC : ) I've been enjoying reading your blogs too. I hope with our combined efforts we can raise awareness and find the cure! And in the meantime, learn a lot from each other by sharing our experiences too! And Wendy - I'm right there with you on your new dream....it's sad to think that there are children dying from this because of their lack of access to insulin...it's senseless!
ReplyDeleteThanks again to you all!
Hi Michelle!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to "meet" you! My little princess was diagnosed just a few weeks after her third birthday - April 27, 2009. She'll be 5 in a couple of weeks.... and we've been at this for almost 2 years. YIKES! Look me up on facebook... email me... My blog is on facebook, too! Welcome to the club! And never stop dreaming!
Hi Michelle! I found you through the "Woodchuck" post - LOL! GREAT to "meet" you here and I hope you enjoy the DOC as much as I have been. It has been such a great place of support and friendship ... while raising awareness on what our children endure daily.
ReplyDeleteI am with Laura...your header is making my mouth water. I think it is the powdered sugar.
Hi Michelle! Thank you for your comment on my blog today. Thank you for sharing your story and I look forward to reading more about you and your family here.
ReplyDelete