This is my third year rundraising for Team JDRF. I joined Team JDRF for a very personal reason. My husband and best friend, Jason, was diagnosed with juvenile onset, Type 1 diabetes (T1D) when he was a kid. This isn't the kind of diabetes you can prevent with diet and exercise. It's the kind you get because your pancreas simply stops producing insulin. It cannot be prevented and there is no cure. This means four insulin injections and blood glucose testing every day. Jason can get high sugar, but it's more likely that he gets low sugar. Sometimes this means emergency hospital visits. It means monitoring diet and exercise.
This might make you wonder how someone with T1D can run, especially 13.1 miles. First, let me explain that Jason doesn't "jog;" he RUNS. Committ and get it done. He's completed 7 half marathons with a 1:38:20 PR. He's completed several other 5ks and 10ks and has a 21:10 5k PR. Yes, I'm bragging all over him because he does all this WITH T1D (and I love him). He has to be more attentive to fueling and diet than the average runner, especially during long runs. But running and fundraising to find a cure for T1D go hand in hand, because running has helped lessen the negative impact of diabetes. Since starting to train for the Freep in 2014, Jason hasn't had a single episode of low sugar that was bad enough to land us in the hospital. Sometimes he doesn't need quite as much insulin because he's so active. His sugar levels are more stable. Obviously running improves his cardiovascular, respiratory, muscle, and bone health like it does for any runner, but it's even more important for someone who has a life-long disease and needs to be as healthy as possible. Now he can even run long runs and usually not experience really low sugar afterwards. In the non-running world, this means he can work all day, running around, and not worry about having low sugar.
JDRF is the largest nongovernmental funder of T1D research and the only global organization with a strategic research plan to fight T1D. This science is complex and costly, and every dollar JDRF is able to direct toward research comes from donors like you. Jason and I don't give of our time and money lightly. We've researched JDRF and they're an extremely reputable charity, worthy of our time. You can check them out online at http://tinyurl.com/
Every dollar helps. Team JDRF has been there for Jason and millions of other children and adults and we'll continue to be there for them. My goal is $650, but 2014 year, with the help of caring family and friends, we raised $1,609.10. Last year we raised $885 and our team raised over $18,000. We MUST reach or exceed our past fundraising this year. Like I said earlier, Team Warzecha committs. There is so much life-altering research taking place that will likely make an impact on Jason's quality of life IN OUR LIFETIMES. The time is NOW! Thank you for your support! It means the world to us.
Love,
Megan and Jason
My Team JDRF fundraising page: http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/
