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Dear Friends and Family,

Most of you know that in 2001 I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, but I've never really shared with people how this disease has affected my life.  I want to share something very personal with you in the hope that it will shed some light on my experience with diabetes and why I'm asking you to reach into your pockets during such hard economic times.  I wrote the following journal entry on October 24, 2007, 6 years after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, two months before moving to Berkeley, and five months before discovering the Diabetic Youth Foundation:

“I feel angry about my diabetes.  I feel different.  I feel apart.  I feel broken and unfixable.  I feel pathetic and whiney.  I feel ashamed for thinking about it so much.  Is this normal?  Do other diabetics feel this way?  And there’s the kicker, I’ll never know, because I don’t know any other diabetics. Time and time again, experience has shown me that non-diabetics just don’t understand, even when I try to explain it to them.  It’s not our fault, but the reality is, this disease will keep an impenetrable wall between us, whether we like it or not.  The thing is, I'm the only one who has to see that wall.  So I’m left feeling like a prisoner with a life sentence, knowing that I’ll never get out from behind these bars, I’ll always be isolated.  It seems like these feelings will never go away because my diabetes will never go away.  What am I supposed to do?  I feel alone.  I feel powerless.” 

My diagnosis changed my world forever.  And until recently, I thought it was for the worse.  In March of 2008, I had another life-changing experience when I volunteered as a counselor at one of the Diabetic Youth Foundation’s Family Camps in Livermore, CA.  For the first time since my diagnosis, the DYF let me see myself, let me hear my story in other people.  I didn’t have to wonder if they’d get it or if they’d understand what I was going through, if they could possibly know what life with diabetes was like.  All of these people already had the diabetic-seal-of-approval.  I was safe and I was free.  Being able to connect our stories created a space for all of us to accept and validate our experiences, to embrace and empower ourselves.  I wasn’t behind bars anymore.  Being part of a we, made it ok for me, to be me.

I've shared this with all of you so that you can see how I've been affected by diabetes and the Diabetic Youth Foundation.  I am a stronger, healthier, and happier person because of the the DYF.  The mission of this organization is carried out by loving, dedicated people who change the lives of diabetics everyday.  And as I've learned, diabetes doesn't just rest on the diabetic's shoulders alone- it affects everyone who cares for us- our parents, siblings, spouses, co-workers, and friends.  The Diabetic Youth Foundation is a place of solace, comfort, joy and empowerment for all of us.  It gives us hope for the future, it lets us be "normal," it shows us how strong we are, it provides us with skills and knowledge we need to better manage the physical and emotional challenges of our disease. 

The DYF gave me a lifeline that I wish I had been tossed 8 years ago.  Every child and family with diabetes needs and deserves the love and support they will find at the DYF's year-round events and their incredibly special summertime Bearskin Meadow Camp.   Unfortunately, the Diabetic Youth Foundation has been hit hard by the economic crisis because many of its corporate funders have been forced to reduce or withdraw their financial support (that is to say, they've lost $250,000).  The DYF has already had to cancel four of its programs this year.  It may be forced to stop offering scholarships to those who need a little financial help to get to camp.  It is now up to each one of us to make sure that the DYF can continue its mission to improve the quality of life for children, teens and families affected by diabetes. 

I know times are tough for all of us.  But consider making coffee at home tomorrow morning and donating that $3.50 you would have spent at Starbucks to a teenager who has no other diabetics his age to talk to about what it's like to grow up with this disease.  Get a pitcher of beer with friends instead of each buying your own pints this weekend.  Give the few dollars you save to a Spanish-speaking mother who  doesn't know how to help her newly diagnosed daughter take her shots and test her blood sugar - the DYF is the ONLY organization in the US that offers a Spanish-language family camp.  Bring your lunch to work next week and toss a lifeline to a young woman just like me who thought that diabetes meant a life separate from everyone else. 

Even the smallest amount will make the BIGGEST difference.  Trust me when I tell you that your generosity will change someone's life.  Thank you so much for your love and support!  

So much love,

Courtney