|
Islets of Hope diabetes industry press releases |
||||
|
|
|||
|
Affiliate Ad
|
||||||||
|
For more information contact Lynda Steinbeck, Executive Director, JDRF Inland Empire Chapter at lsteinbeck@jdrf.org. Why a Cure is Important By Sabrina Jasper, age 12, type 1 diabetes. Sabrina is a child congressional delegate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Story release date: August 27, 2007 Courtesy of JDRF. My story is very simple, I had an eye infection for four weeks and the doctors could not figure out why. After several different antibiotics the blood tests revealed prolonged high blood sugars. I was hospitalized, stabilized, and sent home to cope with the new diagnosis of Diabetes, not an eye infection. I’m Sabrina Jasper; I was five years old and just starting school. Getting adjusted took some time and I have had great support at school with my teachers and my friends. Seven years have passed and it’s not always been easy. Sometimes high, sometimes low, illness, emergencies, and never just right. But, with all that I have gone on to win beauty pageants, a saddle when I was six for gymkhana, several top five buckles in barrel racing at local rodeos, and most recently my second rodeo queen title. I am now 12 years old and in the 7th grade at The Heritage School in California. I maintain a 3.6 GPA and I have to work hard at everything. Even though I don’t feel well, due to diabetes, I won’t let it stop me from doing things either. Finding a cure for diabetes is the most important thing to me right now because this last year has been a road of endless highs. I went through denial that there was a problem, to changing doses, to we have to change the doses again because I am still high. Now, we seem to have found that I am allergic to one of the insulins, which is why my body has been fighting the insulin and I am always high no matter what I eat. We are still trying to figure out a different insulin program, however I have been high with no end in sight for seven months. This, I know, is not good. For me, research is the best answer. I have to take the road to make every effort to bring about awareness and funding for a cure. I have the opportunity this next year to promote Diabetes through rodeo. I recently won the title of Little Miss Barstow Rodeo Stampede. This opens the door for me to educate a huge audience and bring about awareness and funding throughout the state about the issues of Juvenile Diabetes. In the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which is who my title represents, there are three cowboys diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, world champions, and me. I want to join up with them to bring awareness throughout the country. I want children everywhere is see me as an example and role model as to what they can do. The Children’s Congress is a good way to get started. Congress needs to be aware of the growing numbers of children being diagnosed with Type I diabetes and that there are projects out there that need funding NOW to find a cure. This next year leaves me a window of time to promote the issues that are important to me. The most important and immediate issue is finding a cure for Diabetes, whether it is through the pancreas project, or stem cell project or somatic cell project. These projects seem really close to the cure and right now my best hope to play my part. Another issue important to me is school management. There are many issue related to school and no one seems care about the diabetic at school. Everyday is a challenge and everyone there to help seems to not help, mostly because they don’t understand the difficulties of being the one with diabetes and dealing with it at school. On of the most difficult issues at school is lunch. They do not provide good lunches even for children with or without diabetes. There is very limit protein and way too much starch foods. I try really hard, but if I don’t even have a choice of the food I should eat, I can’t eat it. Then there is bring the cold lunch from home and that is just not worth it. Just in the last few days a second student was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at my school of 500 students. Several teachers came to me and asked me to talk to this other student and his family because they know I have been dealing with living with Diabetes for several years. I gladly accepted their requests and when he is ready we are planning to meet and talk. Becoming an advocate for Diabetes is a blessing and something I want to do. There are many children living with diabetes, from all walks of life. We are bringing awareness about through walks, rides, volunteers, and funds for diabetes. Now, I want to RODEO for diabetes to be added to that list.
For more information, visit the JDRF web site at www.jdrf.org or call 800-533-CURE. |
||||||||
|
| Contact Us | About IOH | Our Mission | Elizabeth's Story | About the Founder | Join IOH | How To Help | Advertise | Privacy Statement | Site Index | Page Updated 08/29/2007 |
||||
