As I sat down to talk to three women recently about the seriousness of juvenile diabetes, one of their daughters, cute little Karly Arnew, 7, came up to me with a huge smile and asked, “Are you the new guy?”
I laughed and said, “Yes,” not sure to what she was referring. At 50, there’s not much “new” about me. But I was new to her. She smiled and ran off to play with her sister.
Doctors diagnosed Karly Arnew with Type 1 diabetes at the age of only 18 months. She’s had an insulin pump since she was two. People tell her mother, Cheri, that her daughter getting diagnosed at such a young age is a good thing, so Karly won’t remember what it was like beforehand.
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Yeah, what it was like without daily pricking of fingers to monitor blood-sugar levels, and to strictly watch one’s diet, especially when it came to carbohydrates and sweets.
I would think most mothers would prefer to put that off for a few years, say forever.
Cheri, Nancy Tippin and Linda O’Hara are three local mothers who share a common thread none of them want – they all have a child with diabetes. Their kids are at various stages of life – Linda’s son Toby is 42, Nancy’s lad Brandon is 23, while the aforementioned Karly is in pure kid mode. Toby was diagnosed at age nine, Brandon at seven, and Karly, as mentioned, at just 18 months.
All the kids faced their illness at various stages of technological advancement as well.
“For my son, testing was archaic. You tested glucose levels by dipping a test strip in urine,” Linda said.
Nancy’s son had the luxury of a glucometer. Ditto for Cheri’s Karly, who, rather than face daily needles, has had the regularity of an insulin pump for most of her life.
Linda reminds folks there is still no cure for juvenile diabetes. When someone gets Type 1, they have it for life. That means constant blood-sugar level monitoring, and closely watching what one eats, just for starters.
“It’s a challenge to raise a child. Imagine what it’s like to also have to closely monitor so many things,” she said.
Cheri said a person with diabetes can do everything right and still have complications.
“You can have the best technology, but they can still wake up extremely sick,” she said.
Nancy said it’s not as simple at monitoring diet alone.
“Everything affects it – stress, exercise, illness,” she said.
The women are part of a small mutual support group, leaning on each other for assistance and advice, and have the added aid of friends Joanne Mallette and Dawn McGregor.
The group supports JDRF, an organization that focuses on Type 1 diabetes research. Last year, the ladies held a fundraiser at the Portuguese Canadian Club on Grand Avenue. They sold out.
This time around, they’re moving their event – Rock ‘N for Research – to a larger venue, the John D. Bradley Convention Centre. The O’Hara Brothers will provide the rocking. That includes Toby O’Hara belting it out on vocals and plucking away at his bass guitar, and his older brother, Clancy on keyboards and rhythm guitar.
Yes, Linda’s not only the mother of a diabetic kid, but of musicians – guys who support many, many local charitable efforts.
Tickets are $30 a person. Doors open at 8 p.m., and there’s also an 11 p.m. pizza buffet, as well as door prizes and a silent auction. Being so close to Halloween, people are encouraged, but not forced, to wear costumes.
For more information, call 519-354-0987 or visit www.facebook.com/RockNforResearch.
