Sloan was diagnosed with Juvenile diabetes at age 4
I don't post about Sloan and her diabetes very often. Mostly because it has become such a routine part of our everyday life. I try not to make a big deal of it. After all she is just like any other little girl her age. The only difference being she has to take insulin or she could become very sick. We as parents encourage her to dream big and shoot for the stars. Although she is diabetic we try to focus on the positives instead of the negatives. Some days are harder than others. We are blessed to live where she has wonderful Dr.s and that we have very supportive friends to help us in this journey.
I would like to point out a few hard facts.
To this date Sloan has had a little over 6,000 shots. That's 4 shots a day (sometimes more depending on sugar levels). She has pricked the tips of her fingers over 7,500 times. If you ever have the chance to test your sugar, you should. It kinda hurts. Why am I telling you this? So you can see how brave my little girl is & all the other little ones who are affected by this disease.
Each year more than 15,000 children & young adults are diagnosed with diabetes, that's 40 children per day.
While insulin allows a person to stay alive, it does not cure the disease itself. It doesn't prevent some of the repercussions of having such vast fluctuations of blood sugars either. Some of the side effects can be but are not limited to:: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, amputations, heart attack, stroke, & pregnancy complications.
My Hope
My hope is that some day very soon a cure will be found. Until that day I will keep doing my part to keep my little Sloan healthy. I also help with our local JDRF branch in raising money that goes to help fund a cure. Every year their are several wonderful events put on by our local Nevada JDRF chapter. The one I usually help out the most with is our annual Gala event. It is a huge event here in Reno. One of the biggest fundraisers of the year locally. The reason I'm spreading the word here on my blog is I have had several of my friends and fellow artist's and crafters ask how they can be a part of this very wonderful event. I have also asked a few of my very dear friends if they would like to help out. My heart is touched at the response. This is my 4th year that I have helped to procure donations. I hope to help with many more to come. Last year alone in one night the event raised over 1.3 million.
How can I help?
If you are interested in donating something for this upcoming event, please let my know. Feel free to email me (email to the side of blog) I can then send you the proper form to fill out. This donation is tax deductible, you would save a copy of the form for your tax records. It would help if I had all of the forms turned in by next Wednesday, April 8th. The actual auction items are not needed until April 25th.
Some auction items that have been included in past auctions are:: original art, prints, blankets, quilts, toys, handmade woodwork, jewelry, bicycles, flights to exotic destinations, dinners to local and faraway destinations, golf packages, celebrity memorabilia, landscaping packages, and the list goes on. Basically what I want everyone to understand is no donation is too small or large.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
