October 31st

Our big day has almost arrived! We have less than 24 hours to go! We are excited! Jack's Pack shirts and goody bags have been distributed. Team directions have been sent. The only thing left to do is charge the camera batteries and load the van with our stroller, wagon and other Walk day essentials. I can't decide whether the kids are more excited about the Walk or about Halloween. They are looking forward to seeing all sorts of friends and relatives at the Walk. It will be like a party for them, and in many ways, it is a celebration, a joyous tribute to Jack and our hopes for his future, not to mention the culmination of another successful fundraising campaign. It will also be a time to connect with many of our beloved D friends. Then, tomorrow night will bring costumes, candy and more friends and fun. What a great day it will be! Many people have asked how we handle Halloween with Jack. We feel strongly that just because Jack has type 1 diabetes, it doesn't mean he can't partake in October 31st festivities. He will dress up, this year as Luke Skywalker, trick-or-treat and then come home to sort through his loot and snack on Skittles, Twizzlers, a Snickers bar or whatever he fancies. Of course, we'll test his blood sugar, limit his candy intake and give him insulin accordingly. And then all three of our kids will trade in their candy for presents that they picked out a few weeks ago at Toys R Us. They can not wait to get their gifts. We'll save some favorite candies for low blood sugar episodes and late-night sweet tooth cravings. (Mine and Gregg's! There's no better snack at 10pm than a Reese's peanut butter cup, if you ask me!). Then, Gregg will take their remaining candy into work and let his coworkers enjoy it. Or we'll send it with my mom to her office. The past two years, we have been very lucky on Halloween. Jack's blood sugars have remained in a good range, despite his excitement, running through the neighborhood and carb-laden treats. Knock on wood, tomorrow will be another happy, healthy Halloween. We hope all of you enjoy October 31st as much as we will!

Excitement is in the Air

Excitement is in the air! Can you feel it? The Walk is only three days away! We have poured our hearts and souls into our Walk campaign, working long days and late nights, writing, calling, discussing, strategizing and hoping. More than anything, we want a cure for Jack, we want a brighter future, and we want him freed from the daily difficulities of this disease. The Walk symbolizes that for us. Our campaign is winding down, but our work is not done. We have three more days of planning, prepping and fundraising. We are excited for Saturday, when we will march along with 20,000+ others, including our friends and family in honor of Jack. It's going to be a GREAT day!

Keep Out

Jack makes us laugh all the time. Today's chuckle came from a sign he posted on his bedroom door. Check it out. We didn't ask him, but we're wondering who he expects to enter his room besides his family and his friends. The boogie man? Monsters? Werewolves? Robbers? His endocrinologist? We also love his phonetic spelling. Hope this makes you smile, too!

The Secret Churros

When we talk about diabetes, we usually talk about Jack. But, the truth is diabetes affects our entire family. This afternoon, Gregg took Jack to a birthday party, which, by the way, was a drop-off party...except for Jack. There is no dropping off and leaving Jack anywhere, unless he's going to be under the supervision of someone who's been trained in diabetes management, like at school. So Gregg and Jack went off to Pump It Up to whoop it up and celebrate. The moment they left the house, Madeline asked, "Can Max and I have candy?" In comparison to other kids we know, our three eat less sweets. Is that because of Jack's diabetes, or is it because of our desire to give them good nutrition? It's both, I suppose. But when Jack's not around, we tend to relax the rules. Being the softie that I am, I often feel badly for the ways in which Madeline and Max are restricted because of Jack's diabetes. For instance, at the zoo last week, all of the kids asked for snow cones. That was the last thing Jack needed. A snow cone would have wreaked havoc with his sugars for the rest of the day. It just wasn't worth it. I inquired about sugar-free snow cones, but was told they didn't offer any. We try our best to allow our kids to enjoy treats at special events and outings, but not at the expense of Jack's health. Getting back to today...I caved. I let Madeline and Max each eat a packet of Gushers fruit snacks, something that is normally reserved for treating low blood sugar episodes. Then, I took them to Sam's Club to pick up some groceries. "Can we get a churro?" Madeline asked as we entered the warehouse. I caved again. I've never bought a churro before, but today diabetes guilt had set in, and the next thing I knew, I was at the cafe ordering two churros. I rationalized their snack by saying, "Sure, you can have a churro, because Jack will get birthday cake." All the while, I was thinking, "What am I teaching my kids here?" Life is not fair. Why should they think that just because Jack would eat birthday cake, they deserved a churro? So then I tried to back track. "Well, it's not just because of the birthday cake," I began. "It's because of Jack's diabetes, isn't it?" Madeline interrupted and finished my sentence. "She totally gets it," I thought. But always trying to be careful about the ways in which we frame the disease, and feeling exhausted and not coming up with anything better to say, I gave a wishy-washy non-answer and redirected the conversation. "Well, sort of...let's go sit down while you eat." With cinnamon and sugar covering their hands and faces, Madeline and Max devoured their treats. "This is so good!" Madeline exclaimed. "Yeah, so good!" Max echoed. It made me sad that something as simple as a churro is a big deal in our family, but it is. Even though he enjoyed a piece of birthday cake, Jack would be devastated if he knew that Madeline and Max were allowed a treat as rare and as special as a churro. "Don't tell Jack about your churros," I said to Madeline and Max. Once again, I questioned what I was teaching my kids. What was the lesson here? Lie by omission? I'm always directing them to "tell the truth" and cautioning them about secrets. But there I was telling them to keep the truth a secret. "No, it's okay. Go ahead and tell him, if you'd like...no, no, don't tell him," I went back and forth. Madeline realized I was struggling. "Mom, don't worry we won't say anything. Jack would be upset if he knew we actually got a churro." She gets it. She knows I want her to do the right thing. She knows I'm all about doing the right thing. She also knows I want to protect Jack's feelings. He is such a sensitive guy, and he already has enough situations that we can't control that leave him feeling negatively toward his disease. So this started a whole discussion about how things just aren't always black and white, how sometimes we just don't know what the right thing to do is, but still need to try our best, how we need to be sensitive to others and so on and so forth. "Some times, it's tough to be the mom, isn't it?" Madeline asked. "Some times, you want to do the right thing, but you just don't know what that is." She gets it. She's only seven, but she totally gets it. Thank goodness, she gets it.

Oh, what a night!

The Bonns had a blast last night! We held our Jack's Pack fundraiser at Chick-fil-A, which will kindly donate 20% of the evening's proceeds to JDRF. For three straight hours, from 5 to 8 p.m., the restaurant was packed with friends and family, all of whom came to show their support for Jack and our JDRF campaign. Friends from Jack and Madeline's elementary school, friends from Max's preschool, family friends, work friends, old friends, new friends, people we've never met before -- so many people came to Chick-fil-A! We don't have final numbers yet. We don't know the total number of people who dined for diabetes or the amount of money we raised. But, we do know that from 5 to 6 p.m., Jack's Pack placed 130 food orders, and then from 6 to 7 p.m., we placed an additional 99 orders. That's 229 orders!!!! Amazing!!!! The showing of support, the kindness of the community, the care and compassion of others--it all just makes us feel so honored, blessed, grateful, humbled and elated. Really, what a heartwarming event and an uplifting evening. We tried to make the rounds, going from table to table, thanking people. We know we were not able to talk to everyone, which makes us feel badly, but we hope that people understand. We both wanted to personally thank and spend time with everyone there. It reminded us of our wedding, circulating through the space, wearing genuine smiles, feeling on top of the world and wanting everyone to know how much they're appreciated...and not eating dinner ourselves! (We waited until after the event was over to get order our salad and sandwich.) If you were there last night and if we were unable to talk to you, please accept our apologies! Please know that we tried our best and were overwhelmed by the sea of famliar faces. For the kids, last night was like one play date after another with a variety of friends. Like an open house, people came and went throughout the evening. We had expected this to happen, so we fed Madeline, Jack and Max as soon as we arrived at Chick-fil-A at 5 p.m. They wolfed down their chicken nuggets, fruit and fries and then ran off to the play area. For the remaining time they were there, the kids had a constant influx of friends. What fun for them! We hope that while we raised money for JDRF, we also raised awareness. We hope at least a few people left the restaurant with a better understanding of diabetes and/or JDRF. We also hope we taught our kids a lesson on the importance of giving to the community and helping others in need. Perhaps when they are adults, they will remember nights like last night and our years of walking and they will give of themselves, too. Good friends, good food, good cause and good times! Oh, what a night!

Kids Will Be Kids

Today was a reminder that our lives are about so much more than just diabetes. This disease can be so challenging that, at times, it feels as though all we do is check blood sugar levels, count carbs, give shots and worry. The truth is that we strive to make diabetes just one facet of our lives, and today we focused on so much more. Last week, Jack begged us to order him a Luke Skywalker costume for Halloween. We couldn't resist, and his costume arrived today. He saw the box sitting on the kitchen counter, and he was excited to open it and try on his Halloween attire. The force was definitely with him! He transformed into a Jedi Knight, wielded his light saber and chased his brother around the house. Meanwhile Madeline was imagining her induction into the "Girls' Soccer Hall of Fame," winning the title of "World's Best Goalie." At last Saturday's soccer game, Madeline took over the goalie position and played hard. She blocked kicks, grabbed the ball and prevented goals. This afternoon, at soccer practice, her coaches praised her. Our little athlete heard, "Madeline, you are the best goalie we have! You were awesome on Saturday!" Madeline lit up, felt proud and then spent the rest of the day winning games, thanking fans and signing autographs in her head. This afternoon, the other family athlete, Max, decided to try a new adventure sport: garage door hanging. Yes, you read that correctly. I did say garage door hanging. The object of this sport is to hold onto the garage door for as long as one can, while the door opens and rises to the ceiling and one's mother enters into cardiac arrest. I'm not joking here. Max seriously ran to the garage door as it was rising and grabbed on for a joy ride. Up, up, up went Max, his little body dangling. About four feet off the ground, he let go, dropped to the cement floor beneath him and proclaimed, "That was awesome!" I could see our neighbor, who lives across the street, standing still in her garage, staring at us. Her mouth had dropped open in shock. "That was NOT awesome!" I said with the most stern voice possible. "Oh, yeah, it was. Mom, there was no way I was gonna bweak my head open," he said with his four-year-old's speech impediment. Call him a dare devil, a thrill seeker or an adrenaline junkie. We call him crazy, and we love him just the same. And we're grateful he's all in one piece tonight. That's our Max! And that's how some days go around here!

If you intend to walk with us or donate...

The Walk is fast approaching. It's 11 days away to be exact. We're excited to report that Jack's Pack is growing, as new walkers register daily. If you intend to join Jack's Pack too, please register ASAP. Registration is easy and free. Just click here to be taken to the JDRF Jack's Pack registration page. If you need help registering, or if you're on the fence and have questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@jacks-pack.com. The Walk wil be lots of fun. The atmosphere at Tempe Beach Park will be lively like that of a festival with live music, bouncies and costumed characters walking around. The Walk itself will provide decent exercise, not too difficult, not too easy, and it will leave you feeling happy and content, as though you've done your good deed for the day. And you will have, as you will have supported millions of people living with type 1 diabetes. We need to place our order for team t-shirts this week, so time is of the essence! I don't want to forget the real purpose of the Walk: to raise funds for JDRF. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes. Jack needs your help. Please contribute to JDRF. Donating online is quick and easy. Just click here to go to Jack's JDRF fundraising page. To all of our Jack's Pack supporters, walkers and donors alike, thank you!!!!

46

Tonight is one of those nights. Jack went to bed about 90 minutes ago, and we just checked his blood sugar level while he's sleeping. He was at 46, which is a LOW low. He needed to be woken up, and waking Jack from a sound sleep is tricky and unpredictable. Some times, he wakes up and we breeze through treatment. Other times, he's argumentative, combative and desperate to return to bed. We can't blame him. Who wants to be dragged out of bed and forced to eat or drink? Luckily, tonight he was cooperative. We guided him from his bedroom to the kitchen, where he sucked down a carton of grape juice and ate both a glucose tablet and a gummy worm. Sounds like a lot of food when you're half asleep, doesn't it? Also sounds like a lot of carbs, and it is. (26 grams of carbs for the grape juice + 4 grams for the glucose tab + 7 grams for the gummy worm = 37 grams of carbohydrates) But Jack needs those carbs when he's this low. His blood sugar level typically drops over night, so it's scary to see numbers under 50. After his sugary snack, back to bed went Jack. He was almost asleep before his head hit his pillow. Thank goodness, he won't remember this tomorrow morning...but we will.

P.S. A good friend asked for help, and we'll happily do what we can, including spreading the word. The Sojourner Center, which provides shelter and support to those affected by domestic violence, needs a bunch of items:

• blankets
• Halloween costumes
• toiletries
• warm clothing

They have roughly 60-70 kids who need Halloween costumes. Apparently, their usual donor backed out this year. Please consider donating your gently used goods to these kids and their parents.

While they really need the above items, they will take anything. Whatever is not used or needed by their families, they will sell in their Second Treasures store and use the proceeds to buy what is needed.

Donation hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am-4pm and Thursday from 10am-3pm. If you need to drop off at another time, please call the Center.

For more information or to schedule a drop-off at another time, contact Beth at (602) 253-9180 - Sojourner Center, 1639 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85006

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

The kids have no school this week. It's fall break. So today we went with good friends to the Phoenix Zoo. The weather was gorgeous, the animals were out and the kids had a blast. On the way home, the kids didn't stop talking about the various animal exhibits. All three loved "monkey village," where they were able to enter the squirrel monkeys' habitat and see them up close and personal. They also really enjoyed the mother and baby orangutans, who were playing hide-and-seek with a bed sheet. But the giraffes, elephants, zebras and other creatures delighted them as well. So did the Zoo's water park. We encountered a real live "bear" at lunch. She was sitting with another woman and their two kids at the picnic table next to ours. They filled only half of their table. We had more people in our party than our table could fit. So I asked them if they would please share a couple of seats with us. Mind you, the Cafe's picnic area was packed and open seating was limited. The bear growled, "Only with adults!" She refused to have one of our kids sit at her table. My friend and I looked at each other in disbelief. Would this mama bear have liked it if we had refused a seat to one of her cubs? Now, we weren't about to place any of our kids at her table. We figured we'd keep all our kids together at the one table, while we sat next to them at the bear's table. But still, who would force a young child to stand and eat his hot dog and chips, after being asked for help? We lucked out, as immediately thereafter another table opened up and we could easily end our grizzly encounter. Lions and tigers and "bears," oh my!

Poker Run on the Light Rail

One of our biggest Jack's Pack supporters is our friend, Jeff Brody. We met Jeff two years ago, when he was Jack's summer camp counselor. It was Jack's first summer with diabetes, and before camp began, we had no idea what to expect. Would Jack's counselors, who were college students home on summer vacation, really "get" diabetes? Would they care? Would they understand the seriousness of the disease? Could we really trust them to take proper care of Jack? Would they be capable of handling a LOW low or a HIGH high? On day one with Jeff, our fears were fried in the hot Arizona sun. Jeff took better care of Jack than we ever could have imagined. He took on diabetes like a pro, handling those LOW lows and those HIGH highs and everything in between with care and compassion. He "got it." He was an amazing counselor, and Jack had a wonderful, fun-filled, safe summer. After camp ended, we kept in contact with Jeff, and he has become a beloved family friend. Jeff has Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract. Like type 1 diabetes, it is an autoimmune disorder for which there is no cure. And, like Jack, Jeff has a passionate mother, Robin, who is trying to raise funds to help find a cure for her son. On behalf of Jeff and Robin, I invite you and encourage you to participate in Poker Run on the Light Rail, a fundraising event to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. The event will take place on October 25th and costs $30 per person, if you register prior to October 21st, and $35 to register thereafter. Participants will meet at 10am at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Phoenix and will use the Phoenix area light rail system to travel along a predesignated route, where at stated stops, they will draw playing cards. The object of the event is to have the best poker hand at the end of the run. Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three best hands. Sound like fun?! I think so! For more information and to register, please visit http://www.robbiegirl.com/. Please participate and help Jeff and Robin! This is such a worthy cause. Crohn's disease is a painful, debilitating illness, and the mission of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America is to find a cure. Just as we want a cure for Jack, we want a cure for Jeff, too.

Frozen Fiasco

We tried a new restaurant tonight. This place is known for their burgers and their frozen custard. As we ate our dinner, we kept seeing trays of tempting treats pass us by. Sundaes, shakes, cones--it all looked delicious. It wasn't just the kids who wanted dessert!

Jack's pre-dinner blood sugar level check gave us a good number, and his actual dinner was not loaded with carbs. So we looked up the nutritional information on the custard, calculated the carbs and let Jack order away. He chose a scoop of vanilla custard topped with Oreos. As he said, "Yummy!"

We injected him with his insulin to cover the entire meal, and we went home a happy family.

Our happiness lasted for about two hours, that is until we tested Jack's blood sugar level before he went to bed. (Testing before bed is part of our nightly routine.) Much to our dismay, we saw a 320 on the meter, a disappointing high.

So, we gave him another shot of insulin to reduce his sugar level, and then 90 minutes later, long enough for that insulin to have taken effect, we tested him again. Another poke for Jack, this time in his sleep. Even more disappointing, he hadn't gone down at all. Rather, he had gone up. He was at 355, which meant giving him yet another shot of insulin and us staying awake for at least another 90 minutes.

Here's a picture of Gregg administering that shot.

Welcome to diabetes, a disease you can treat, but not control, a disease with a mind of its own. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens all the time. We strive to take the very best care of Jack. We monitor his blood sugar level all day and all night long. We measure and weigh foods. We calculate carbs. We give him insulin accordingly. But there are days when that's just not enough. No matter how hard we try, we can't always win. There are no guarantees with diabetes.

It's now 12:12 a.m. and 90 minutes have passed since Jack's last insulin injection. We just checked him again. He's now at 330. It's going to be a long night... Crazy custard!

Finding the Good

Last night's post focused on the daily dilemmas and demands of diabetes, and as much as we dwell on the down side of the disease, we see an upside, too. Although more than anything in this world we wish that Jack did not develop diabetes, we feel grateful for the good it has brought us. It took us a while to recognize that good, but that good definitely exists. Diabetes has linked us to some amazing people. Before Jack was diagnosed, we knew no one with the disease. Immediately after his diagnosis, however, friends and family members came out of the woodwork, offering to introduce us to their friends and family members, who also have some connection to diabetes. We were shocked by how many people knew other people with diabetes. We had no idea how pervasive the disease is. So we followed up on leads and contacted everyone referred to us. We quickly found that we were not alone in our plight. We forged friendships fast, and those friendships continue today. We have made new friends along the way, too. If it weren't Jack's diabetes, we would be missing out on some great relationships. And we have learned so much from our D friends. Doctors and diabetes educators can direct your care, inform you of medical choices and advances, help you to apply those advances, answer medical questions, and provide medical advice and reassurance. Most, however, offer nothing when it comes to managing the disease on daily basis. They give little pragmatic advice, like how to treat very low blood sugar while dealing with the belligerance that comes with it, where to buy the best medical ID bracelet, what to do when you can't wake your child at midnight to treat a low, how to handle school situations, birthday parties or Halloween, or what kinds of kits work best for carrying diabetes supplies. Our D friends share tips, recipes, stories, supplies and more. This stuff is invaluable. D friends offer support as no others can. They truly "get" what we go through. Their advice, knowledge, encouragement and presence is so beneficial. We could go on and on, but suffice it to say that these D friends have enriched our lives in so many ways, and we are so very grateful for them. In addition to leading us to fabulous people, diabetes has also ignited a passion inside both of us and created a purpose. Who knew we could feel so strongly about something? Who knew we could become advocates and activists for an entire community? Who knew we had something inside of us that could help others? Who knew we'd actually have a cause we feel so strongly about? But we are committed to the cause and its community, and it feels incredibly rewarding to help others. (We don't just fundraise for JDRF, but we serve as mentors for newly diagnosed families, too. We have started a support group in our local area and organize events for families with young T1D kids also.) Besides bringing out the best in us, diabetes has brought out the best in others as well. Last year's JDRF Walk showed us what support really means. People near and far rallied around Jack, donating to JDRF on his behalf, joining Jack's Pack, walking with us, fundraising with us, offering encouragement and championing our cause. Even complete strangers came to our aid. It was such a humbling and heartwarming experience. And Jack has grown from his condition. He was reading the double- and triple-digit numbers on his blood sugar meter at age four. He was a little pipsqueak, accurately announcing, "Oh, look I'm 437" or "225" or "96." Even more wild, he was interpretting those numbers. "Ugh oh, I'm 52. I need juice. I knew I felt low...103, perfect!...I need another shot. I'm 385." Moreover, he was taking control of his disease, finding self-sufficiency and independence, as he was testing his blood himself. Out of necessity, he has matured at a faster pace than his siblings. Maybe he would have matured early even without diabetes. We'll never know. But he seems to have developed skills as a result of diabetes, and he fills us with pride as he achieves new abilities, reaches new milestones, displays bravery and evolves into a confident, capable older kid. Diabetes has really taught all three of our kids about compassion. They have learned to recognize, accept and often appreciate difference. They are tolerant and understanding of others, especially other kids with special needs and health issues. They truly care about others and show kindness. We'd like to think that's just who they are or that's just a reflection of our parenting, but we know better. Diabetes has played a role. It might sound cheesy, and it is cliche to say this, but it's also true: every cloud has a silver lining.

D Day

Yesterday was D day, the second anniversary of Jack's diabetes diagnosis. All day long, I kept wondering how many pokes and shots has Jack endured since October 8, 2007. In the evening, I finally calculated the numbers. We have tested his blood by poking his finger roughly 7,300 times, and we have given him approximately 3,650 injections of insulin. The numbers are mind-boggling, especially when you consider he's had this disease for only two years. I clearly recall the first few days after Jack's diagnosis. Those pokes and shots were the worst. Jack was terrified to the point where his little, four-year-old body shook. He would cry, he would run away, he would hide, he would cower in the corner of the room. He would do anything to avoid the pain of his skin being punctured by a needle. And yet, we had no choice. To keep him alive, we had to push through his fear and through our own fears. We had to keep testing his blood and injecting him with insulin. It was awful. As a parent, the last thing you want to do is traumatize your child or inflict pain upon him. But we were not about to let this horrible disease take Jack away from us. We cried as much as Jack in those early days. We were fortunate, though. We were able to go through all of this at home and in doctors' offices instead of in the hospital, like most newly diagnosed children. We had caught Jack's diabetes early enough to prevent hospitalization. Little did we know back then what diabetes would really entail. Diabetes is about so much more than just pokes and shots. It's about balancing carbohydrate consumption, insulin dosages, activity levels, hormones, the weather and even unknown factors. It's about trying to calculate grams of carbohydrates when no nutritional information is available. It's about attempting to find reasons for blood sugar levels, when the answers just aren't possible. It's about trying to figure out why yesterday's routines are creating different results today. It's about continuously trying to control something that just can not be controlled. It's about reacting as best as you possibly can to whatever is thrown your way. It's about worrying about your child's future health and questioning his mortality when he's only four years old. It's about chaperoning your child to a drop-off birthday party. It's about training grandparents, friends, babysitters, teachers, camp counselors and everyone else who supervises your child about diabetes management and trusting that they'll remember and take good care of him. It's about always carrying a fanny-pack full of testing supplies, several forms of quick-acting sugar and a life-saving Glucagon injection kit wherever you go. It's about freaking out and immediately turning around to go home when you've realized you've left that fanny pack on the kitchen counter. It's about needing a lunch aide at school, when no one else has one. It's about having a cell phone for emergencies at age five. It's about antiquated laws that hinder your child from receiving the medical care he needs and deserves at summer camp. It's about repeatedly having to tell your son he can't have and can't do the same things his siblings and friends have and do, because his numbers are out of range or the proposed situation wouldn't be safe. It's about telling his siblings that they can't have juice or candy, only to hear "That's not fair!" in response, when really what's not fair is the disease they don't fully understand and that's causing their brother's blood sugar to plummet. It's about staying awake until the wee hours of the morning to make sure your child is stable, no matter how tired you are. It's about wondering whether a nap is really a nap or a coma. It's about having strangers stare at you in public when you treat your son. It's about having a cause and feeling compelled to ask every person you know to donate to that cause, when you feel most awkward doing so. It's about all these things and more. Two years down, a lifetime to go...

Say "Boo!" to Diabetes

Since the Walk to Cure Diabetes takes place on Halloween this year, JDRF is playing up the whole Halloween theme. Hence the message "Say 'Boo!' to diabetes!" Playing along, I'd like to scare the heck out of this darned disease. I'm calling all ghosts and goblins, vampires and wicked witches to help me. I need jack o'lanterns, monsters, super heroes, pirates and princesses, too. I need everyone! Together, we can be frightful and spook this disease! The best way to do that is by giving JDRF a treat! All it takes is a donation of any size. Every dollar brings us closer to a cure. Please donate to JDRF today and say "boo!" to diabetes! Click here to donate. Thanks for playing along with me!

No Super Snack for Jack

People often ask us, "How is Jack doing?" We usually give a standard answer, "Jack is as well as a kid with diabetes can be." How he's doing depends on the day, the hour and, often, the minute. Here's how he's doing now. Jack's school nurse just called. Jack's blood sugar level is 358. That's high...too high. Jack needs an additional injection of insulin to lower his level, keep him safe and make him feel better. On top of that, Jack's class will celebrate another student's birthday this morning. They'll be served doughnuts for a snack. For every other student in the class, those doughnuts are just a fun treat. For Jack, those doughnuts are another reminder of his disease. Jack can't eat a doughnut this morning. His blood sugar level is already too high, and one bite of a sugary snack like that would send his sugars soaring even higher. Instead, Jack will be given a piece of sugar-free chocolate. Woo hoo! (Can you detect the sarcasm?!) After devouring their doughnuts, the class will head out to the playground for recess. Jack, however, will visit the school nurse for his correction dose of insulin. It's tough to be singled-out when you're six. That's how Jack is doing.

Join Jack's Pack

Calling all friends and family to rally around Jack and be a part of the cure! See Jack’s video and website at www.jacks-pack.com! Dear friends and family, After blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, Jack announced, “I made the same wish I made last year. I wished that I no longer had diabetes. I wished that I were normal.” Imagine our heartbreak. Our six-year-old son hadn’t wished for a dog, a new bicycle or a trip to Disneyland, as most of his peers might have. He had wished for a cure for the disease that grips him daily. It is painful to hear your little one wish he were “normal.” It is devastating to hear your pediatrician deliver a diabetes diagnosis. It is excruciating to move forward after such a life-altering event, having to become a medical expert overnight and having to learn to how to keep your child alive by testing his blood and injecting him with insulin several times a day. And, it is agonizing to live in fear of complications that could claim your child’s life in a heartbeat. Jack was diagnosed with type 1 (juvenile) diabetes on October 8, 2007. Diabetes turned our lives upside down. Now, we aim to turn diabetes upside down. This year, just as we did in 2008, we will participate in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. Our Walk team, Jack’s Pack, is back! The Walk will take place on Saturday, October 31, 2009 at Tempe Town Lake in Tempe, Arizona. We support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), because it is the #1 nonprofit organization funding diabetes research worldwide and its sole purpose is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications. We will continue to work for JDRF until a cure is found. Won’t you please support Jack and JDRF, too? There are several ways you can help: • Join Jack’s Pack. Collect pledges and walk with us. We would be honored to have you on our team. Besides, the Walk is fun! Register to walk with us at www.walk.jdrf.org (Team Name: Jack’s Pack; State: Arizona), or for more information, visit www.jacks-pack.com. • Make an online, tax-deductible donation. Go to www.walk.jdrf.org (Team Name: Jack’s Pack; State: Arizona) or visit www.jacks-pack.com for detailed instructions. • Send us a tax-deductible contribution made payable to JDRF. We will deliver all donations to JDRF. Send contributions to Gregg Bonn, Premier Southwest Insurance Group, 14500 N. Northsight Blvd., Ste. 101, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. • Ask your employer’s HR department whether your company matches charitable donations. If so, feel free to send us the paperwork. We’d be happy to fill out the forms for you. • Become a corporate sponsor of Jack’s Pack. In return, you will receive special recognition for your business. Visit www.jacks-pack.com and click on the “become a sponsor” tab. Or, email us or call Gregg at (480) 315-9051 for more information. • Contact others in your circle of friends and family to walk and donate as well. Feel free to forward this email or write your own. Heidi would be happy to help you write your own letter, too. We realize that budgets are extremely tight this year. Donations are down everywhere. We fear that JDRF researchers may lose the momentum toward the cure that has been gained over the past several years. Thus, we ask you to donate according to your means. Donate a little. Donate a lot. Just please donate and be as generous as possible. We also know that you may have other causes and organizations that you support. Please know that your endorsement of JDRF in honor of Jack means the world to us. We deeply appreciate your assistance. Every walker and every dollar brings us closer to a cure. Thank you for your support. Don’t forget to view Jack’s video and website at www.jacks-pack.com. With gratitude and hope, Heidi Rheingold-Bonn and Gregg Bonn