A Guest Post by Linda Goles-Long

It is almost impossible to remember life before Friday, July 17, 2009, when our 2 year old son, Ryan, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). We didn’t know the first thing about T1D nor did we know anyone who had it. It was devastating, frightening and absolutely overwhelming. We felt helpless and hopeless not knowing what the future would hold for our son. We could hardly breathe yet alone digest much of the information any of the physicians, nurses and dieticians were rapidly throwing our way. Although many friends and family showed their sincere concern we felt truly alone. We did what we had to do, day by day, to keep our son alive and deal with our new way of life. We also tried very hard to not let him see how upset we were and to make his life as “normal” as we could.

During this chaotic, time a family member referred us to our local JDRF Chapter. Although reluctant at first, we contacted JDRF. We immediately received a warm response and the name of a mentor family who we could speak to about any questions or concerns. We gradually reached out and spoke to others like us and got involved with JDRF.

Our son is extraordinary and anyone who knows him admires him and his ability to overcome many daily challenges. We try to do the best we can without focusing on the negative.

We attempt to channel all those useless feelings of fear, worry, anger and sadness into something productive. By providing support to others and actively fundraising for JDRF we know that something positive will come of all this.

JDRF is tackling T1D from all angles. Their efforts are proving to be a very promising reality. Although there will be those days when hope may seem to waiver and tears outweigh the laughter, there will be many more days we can truly begin to see that light at the end of the tunnel. We are convinced now more than ever that our son will experience a cure in his lifetime.

For more information about the JDRF Mentor program, contact Lauren McPherson at lmcpherson@jdrf.org or 717-901-6489.