Dear Family and Friends -

My gradson Kaleb was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 2 1/2 years ago.  We all joined Kaleb in the emergency room the day he was diagnosed and watched as he laid on the hospital bed so sad with an IV in his arm.  He was very sick but immediately perked up a little after he was given insulin.  We learned that Kaleb's immune system had essentially turned against him and destroyed his pancreas.  At first we thought that all he had to do was take insulin with each meal.  The whole family came and went to the hospital that week to see Kaleb and participate in the training.  We came to learn that this was going to be no easy task for Kaleb or his parents.  Kaleb faces a variety of factors all throughout his day that all interact to both raise and lower his blood sugar and figuring the whole thing out from one hour to the next is very difficult.  We learned that this is an extremely serious condition and one that is both life threatenting and life shortening.  It is life threatenting on a daily basis as well as on a long term basis from complications.

Kaleb is 12 years old and is an exceptional soon to be teenager.  He is thoughtful, kind, athletic and competitive.  He is an avid soccer player and runs on the school track team.  Kaleb has endured much more than any child ever should dealing with his diabetes.  There are middle of the night checks of his blood sugar by his parents and scary times when he has been sick and rushed to the emergency room.  As his grandparents, we are in awe of his courage and strength throughout.  He readily teaches people about Type 1 and is an active part in the search for his own cure.  More than anything, our family prays for a cure for Kaleb and all of the other children and adults living with Type 1 Diabetes. 

This is our third year doing the Beat the Bridge walk with all of our family and many others on our team.  As a family we back Kaleb 110% and have held fundraisers to earn money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Our goal from one year to the next is to inform more people about Type 1 Diabetes and to raise more money with each successive year.  Our ultimate goal is a CURE!    Please consider making a tax-deductible charitable contribution to JDRF in honor of Kaleb.  Believe me, I know times are tough.  Although the economy seems to continue to spiral downward, the search for a cure and for research dollars remains.  Thank you for your support and prayers for our grandson.