Each year more than 15,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. That’s 40 children per day. And to a person with Type 1 diabetes each one of these people are considered ‘family.’ This disease brings people together.
When my son was diagnosed I finally understood what it meant to be truly alone. I had no one. Sure I had my husband, my mom, my dad, my brother, my other baby, but in reality, I had no one. I was completely alone in this world. I was just told my oldest baby would die if I didn’t learn how to give him shots and monitor his food intake. This was like nothing else I had ever known.
I cried alot the first few days after diagnosis. I cried in the shower, I cried while reading every book I could about parenting a preschooler with Type 1 diabetes, I cried instead of sleeping, I cried in church, and I even cried in Shop Rite. I was crying because I was terrified. I was crying because I felt so helpless. I was crying because I was alone.
Then about 10 days after diagnosis, a friend mentioned to me that her neighbor had a little boy who also had Type 1 diabetes, AND she could give me the woman’s number so that I could call her. Now normally, calling strangers was the last thing in the world I am known for. I am not the person that talks to other people on line in the supermarket. I typically stay to myself. But, this day, I couldn’t hang up the phone fast enough to call a woman I have yet to meet just because we had this one major thing in common, we both had little ones with Type 1 diabetes.
I spoke with the woman. She directed me to a wonderful place on the internet called Type 1 Parents, www.type1parents.org, she said it was a place where parent’s of kids with Type 1 go to connect and chat on a bulletin board. I knew what a bulletin board was, I had joined a couple for my children’s birth years, but this one was specific to Type 1 diabetes. I had never heard of such a thing. I joined immediately.
In one fell swoop, I wasn’t alone. I had 500 people at my fingertips that were going through the exact same thing I was going through. I was no longer alone. Although I had never met these people, and still 2 years later only met a handful in real life, little did I know that these people would become like a family to me.
It happens now in real life too. We went to family camp. It is a camp for kids with diabetes, Camp Nejeda in New Jersey, www.campnejeda.org. We met 13 other families that time at family camp. While I rarely talk to anyone from family camp, one of the families lives in my town. Both of us moms know that although we do not talk on the phone regularly, we are in a different kind of family together, and at any given moment if need be, I will be at her side. I am there for her if she needs supplies, or support, or even a babysitter. I am there for her in a hearbeat, because I know exactly what she is going through.
It happens in real life everywhere, not just at camp. On a cruise I met 2 young ladies ages 12 and 16 that both had Type 1. I knew because I saw their pumps. I walked right up to their mom, introduced myself and my son with Type 1, and we both hugged. I don’t even know this woman’s name or where she lives, but for those 8 days on the cruise we were family. We talked about the kids’ numbers when we saw each other, we offered advice, we hugged some more.
I heard through the town grapevine that there is a little boy just 1 year younger than my son who has been recently diagnosed. I don’t know the mom personally, but I left every possible way to reach me though another mom that knows her. I am aching for her to get in contact with me. Not for me, but for her. I am in an okay place with our diagnosis. To pat us on the back, I think we handle having Type 1 rather well. I want that for this mom and son too.
It is taking all of my strength not to call the mom that I know to see if she passed on my number. I want to make this new mom a member of my family too. I want her to know I am here for her. I can help with supplies, support, friendship, playdates, and most importantly, understanding. I understand to the core how life altering it is to have a child diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I want her to know she is not alone, she has a friend waiting for her.