This summer our JDRF intern, Kristina Davidson, will be sharing some tips for living the best life possible with diabetes, proving that with some extra care and planning, you can live life to its fullest.
Kristina with her lab, Penni Pancake
As Texas temperatures rise and we all feel the heat, extra precautions are necessary to keep insulin and supplies functioning properly. I’ve collected a few tips and tricks that might be beneficial to you!
1. Never leave your insulin in a hot car or in direct sunlight. Exposing your insulin to temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit or below 36 degrees Fahrenheit can weaken the potency.
2. Extreme temperature swings can affect the accuracy of meters and test strips. Avoid keeping your meter and supplies in your car and don’t leave your equipment outside in direct sunlight.
3. Invest in a way to keep your insulin cold even when traveling. Companies make cold packs designed to insulate pens and vials when a fridge isn’t available.
4. For pump users, excessive perspiration can loosen the adhesive securing the infusion set. If this becomes a problem, try using an antiperspirant on the insertion site after your normal skin-preparation routine.
5. While everyone enjoys a nice tan, a nasty sunburn can cause blood sugars to skyrocket. Be sure to use sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful rays.
Here are just a few tips to get you through these scorching months without any problems! For more tips on how to survive the heat, visit the dLife website.
As always, the JDRF Dallas Website has resources for your reference. However, if there is a topic that you would like to hear more about, please post a comment below or email us at jtresp@jdrf.org.
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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
Buy a JDRF Paper Sneaker at Walgreens in July!
With the 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes fast approaching (watch next week for an Invite to the Walk Kick-Off Event), small and large businesses across the country are supporting JDRF by hosting a Sneaker Sales Campaign which helps raise millions of dollars for diabetes research by simply selling paper sneakers to their customers when they check out!
This July, JDRF has teamed up with Walgreens for a campaign from now until July 31, 2012. Walgreens strives to provide innovative pharmacy, health and wellness solutions and consumer goods and services in communities across the country. With over 7,000 locations in America, Walgreens is beginning their annual Paper Sneaker Campaign to support JDRF. Visit one of the 126 Dallas area locations or any store across the country in July and support JDRF with a $1 donation. Find your neighborhood Walgreens and support JDRF today!
How You Can Help
Visit one of these stores from now until July 31 to buy a sneaker and above all thank them for their participation in this valuable JDRF fundraising program. Let the Walgreens employees know how much you appreciate their incredible support and contribution to JDRF and diabetes research.
Spread the Word
Please share this blog posting via email, Facebook and Twitter so your friends and family can also help! Do you have a business that would like to help JDRF by selling paper sneakers?We would LOVE to have you as a partner! Please contact Dolores Johnson at dsjohnson@jdrf.org or (214) 764-6770.
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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
The 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes Corporate Chairs, Art George (SVP, Analog Engineering Operations of Texas Instruments) and Barbara Baffer (VP, Corporate Affairs & Communications of Ericsson) invite you to join a select group of area corporate leaders for breakfast with Everson Walls, cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1981-1989.
Wednesday, July 11 at 7:30 am
Radisson Hotel Central Dallas | University Park
6070 N. Central Expressway | Dallas, Texas 75206
Please reply by July 9, 2012 to Kristina Davidson at dallasintern@jdrf.org or (214) 373-9808.
Join us in our efforts!
We need your help to recruit new corporate teams and invite them to join us. There is no fee to attend and they will enjoy a great breakfast with sports legend and former Dallas Cowboys cornerback, Everson Walls. Everson will share his story of his friendship with former Cowboy Ron Springs and his journey of living with diabetes.
If you have questions, please contact Dolores Johnson, Development Director at dsjohnson@jdrf.org
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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
Meet the JDRF Dallas Interns
Meet Kristina Davidson! Kristina is one of our summer interns here at JDRF Dallas and she is a senior at Midwestern State University, graduating in December with a degree in Majoring in Mass Communication. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in event planning.
The JDRF Greater Dallas Chapter is excited to have Kristina on board with us this summer. She will be assisting in many areas around the office and at our various summer events including the Cliff Harris JDRF Reunion Golf Classic and the Walk to Cure Diabetes Kick Off. Read on to learn more about Kristina.
Q: So you have type 1 diabetes, when were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed with diabetes in August of 1999 when I was 9 years old. Since my dad is diabetic, my parents always kept a close watch for certain signs and symptoms. When I started drinking lots of water and losing weight, they knew something was wrong. My dad got out his meter, poked my finger and it read “over 600.” We all got in the car, drove to the hospital and later than day I was diagnosed with diabetes.
Q: What brought you to JDRF?
I am very passionate about diabetes and the people affected by it. Growing up in Dallas, JDRF was one of the biggest names I knew that was working with diabetes. I attended Camp Sweeney from age 9 to 18, I participated in various fundraising events held by JDRF and I knew they were really striving to demolish this disease that lived inside so many of my friends and family.
When I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do once I got out of college, I knew I wanted to love my job and I wanted to help people. I did some research and realized that even though I couldn’t help with diabetes through direct medical attention, I could help by taking my story and my passion and using it to fuel the fire in people to fight with me.
Q: Could you tell us about your family?
My family is my support group and I don’t know where I would be without them. They are the funniest people I know and we are always laughing at something. I am very protective of them because I love them so much.
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Kristina with her Dad, Joe
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My dad, Joe, works at Alcatel-Lucent as a program manager and I’ve never met someone that works as hard as he does. Not only is he a great father but he is also the person I share my disease with. He is the person I go to when I have a question or need help getting supplies. We have scheduled our endocrine appointments together since I was 9 and we still do. We have such a strong connection through diabetes and I’m so glad I have him.
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Kristina with her Mom, Betty
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My mom, Betty, is the backbone of our family. She is the person who always knows what’s going on, where things are located and how to handle a situation. You would never know I was her daughter until we both opened our mouths. She is strong and genuinely cares about people. She is the person who pushes me to succeed and to always strive for better. She would do anything for us just because we are her babies.
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Kristina with her brothers, Kyle & Danny
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I have two brothers ages 18 and 26, which makes me the middle child and the only girl. My younger brother Kyle is witty and fun. He is going to Midwestern State in the fall to play tennis and I can’t wait to explore Wichita Falls with him during my last semester there. My older brother Danny graduated from the University of Texas and works at Dell in Austin where he lives with his wife and daughter. He is my mentor and someone I highly look up to. His work ethic is outstanding and I strive to be as successful as him one day.
Q: What have been some of your biggest challenges being Type 1?
Because I was diagnosed with diabetes at such a young age, I’ve had to grown up a lot faster than my friends. I always have to have my supplies, juices, etc. while they just have to worry about themselves. The biggest challenge I’ve had to face is not letting the disease control me. I decided at a very young age that this disease was put into my life for a reason and I think the reason was to make me a leader.
I’ve never been in the hospital for diabetes other than the first time because if I’m low, I handle it. If I’m high, I take insulin. I want to feel the best I can with the disease and the only way to do that is through managing and controlling the outcome. Yes, I struggle some days but I get back on track the next. I want to live a long and happy life and the only way to do that is to admit that this disease is something that is present 24/7 and that it needs attention.
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Kristina with her lab, Penni Pancake
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Q: What has been the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
I can’t think of one big exciting moment in my life but I think that graduating from college is something that will be a very exciting for me. In high school, I didn’t really care about grades or where I went to college. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or how I was going to do it.
Once I began my first semester of college and really found my niche, I thrived. I give 110% in every class I take because I love my major and the people I come in contact with everyday. I have learned how to really talk to people and it is just the start of a new beginning. It may not have already happened, but lets just say I’m the most excited to see what my future holds because of the foundation I have created for myself.
Kristina would love to answer any questions you may have for her.
You can respond or ask her a question by leaving a comment below or email her directly at dallasintern@jdrf.org
If you see her in the office or at a JDRF event, go ahead and introduce yourself – she would love to meet each and every one of our families and corporate partners who contribute so much to JDRF!
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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
You’re Invited | Type 1 Family Network meets Dr. Ponder
Join the Type 1 Family Network (TOFN) for an informative and engaging meeting with Dr. Stephen Ponder!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
12:30 – 2:30 PM
Messiah Lutheran Church
1801 West Plano Parkway – Plano, TX 75075
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided
Come hear Dr. Ponder present a wealth of information on:
- The benefits of an individualized approach to type 1 diabetes
- Current issues on the state of diabetes care in children
- Using a telemedicine approach to manage type 1 diabetes
- The empowerment children gain from being campers at Texas Lions Camp
- What it’s like to have lived with type 1 diabetes for the past 46 years!
Dr. Stephen Ponder is a board certified pediatric endocrinologist and certified diabetes educator who sees patients throughout the state of Texas. Dr. Ponder speaks internationally on type 1 diabetes issues in children, including insulin pump therapy and individualized approaches to care. He has served for 22 years as the Medical Director for the Texas Lions Camp for children with diabetes. Dr. Ponder’s revolutionary telemedicine approach to type 1 diabetes management is earning him praise from parents, professionals and educators.
Will you be attending?
Space is limited. RSVP to Alison Zettle at aczettle@msn.com
We look forward to seeing you!
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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
As a way to get everyone pumped about this year’s Walk to Cure Diabetes theme, “Competing for a Cure”, we are going to give you a little insight on professional athletes who have type 1 diabetes.
Olympic swimmer and JDRF advocate Gary Hall Jr. was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 13 years ago, but hasn’t let the disease hold him back from greatness.
Hall’s talents and drive have helped the 37-year-old professional swimmer win 10 Olympic medals, including five gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals. That same sense of willpower also helped Hall through his diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 1999, which forced him to consider the effects the disease might have on his career and his life. After a brief hiatus from swimming, Hall returned to the Summer Olympics in Sydney in 2000, striking gold yet again.
Hall has not only been a role model for others with T1D by way of example; he has also dedicated himself as a strong advocate for people with T1D and for JDRF. He is a member of the JDRF Government Relations Committee, and during the 2011 Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C., he testified about the need for federal support of diabetes research. On behalf of all of us at JDRF, we applaud Hall for this latest accolade, and thank him for his inspiration both in the water and out.
Be sure to watch for new posts about professional athletes with Type 1 diabetes.
Have you registered for the 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes?
Register today by clicking your preferred Walk Site below to support JDRF and further our mission to cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes and its complications.
2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes
Saturday, September 29, 2012
One Walk… Two Great Locations!
Victory Plaza in Dallas at American Airlines Center
Oak Point Park in Plano on Spring Creek Pkwy at Jupiter Rd
Mark Your Calendars | You’re Invited
The 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes Kick-Off will be Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at Park Lane Ranch in Dallas with fun for the entire family, including putt-putt golf, batting cages and games.
To read more about the JDRF Greater Dallas Walk to Cure Diabetes, visit the JDRF Dallas Walk website.
To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
Walk to Cure Diabetes | Compete for a Cure
Have you registered for the 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes?
This year’s Walk will take place at two locations, Victory Plaza at American Airlines Center in Dallas and Oak Point Park on Spring Creek Parkway at Jupiter Road in Plano, on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
Join JDRF Dallas to Compete for a Cure
This year we challenge our Walk Teams to create a little bit of friendly competition as we all come together for one reason: to find a cure for diabetes.
Challenge yourself to raise more than you did last year, more than your teammates and more than the average walker. Throughout the summer, we will be providing you with tips on how you can Compete for a Cure starting with 3 tips on how to take off on the right foot!
On your mark… Get set… GO!
1. Register today by visiting the JDRF Dallas Walk website.
When registering, returning walkers and team captains will be prompted to enter your login from the 2011 Walk to include your previously customized preferences in the Participant Center.
2. Set an example with a self-donation
Before inviting friends and family to join your team, make a self-donation when you register to show your commitment to reaching your goal!
3. Invite your friends and family to join you
Use the easy email address wizard to load your contacts and invite them to join… then install the Walk Fundraising App for Facebook to invite your social media friends to join you or make a donation.
Can’t join us on Walk day? Participate as a virtual walker!
Register today for the 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes to support JDRF and further our mission to cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes and its complications.
2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes
Saturday, September 29
One Walk… Two Great Locations!
Victory Plaza in Dallas at American Airlines Center
Oak Point Park in Plano on Spring Creek Pkwy at Jupiter Rd
Mark your calendars!
The 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes Kick-Off will be Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at Park Lane Ranch in Dallas with fun for the entire family, including putt-putt golf, batting cages and games.
To read more about the JDRF Greater Dallas Walk to Cure Diabetes visit the JDRF Dallas Walk website.
To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
Chris and Lynda Barnes, championship bowlers and parents of twin boys Ryan and Troy, led the way at the STRIKEoutDiabetes charity bowling event at AMF Lewisville Lanes on Saturday, June 2, 2012. It was a wonderful success thanks to donors, sponsors and bowlers raising over $54,000 for JDRF to support the millions of children and adults who suffer from type 1 diabetes and its devastating complications. [Support JDRF and STRIKEoutDiabetes with a donation!]
For the event, companies and teams sponsored a lane for $300 each and each bowler raised a minimum of $100 (five per team) with all funds benefiting the JDRF Greater Dallas Chapter. There was fun to be had by all that attended including a silent auction, prize drawings, 50/50 raffle, trick shots and colored pin strike prizes!
Additionally, the event had an impressive line up of Chris & Lynda’s fellow professional bowling friends including Tommy Jones, Carolyn and Del Ballard, Shannon O’Keefe, Mike Fagan, Dino Castillo, Chris Drewes and Jesse Buss.
The event also featured sports anchor Scott Murray as the celebrity emcee, DJ David Hodges who kept the crowd dancing in the lanes, the Flower Mound Rosettes Dancers performing before the opening ceremony, youth bowler Jaden Takayesu who led the National Anthem and an appearance as a celebrity guest bowler, actor and musician Nick Jonas.
View more photos from the event: Tammy Kay’s Photography
All photos are available for order… 4×6 prints are $5 and 5×7 prints are $10
Proceeds from photo purchases will benefit JDRF!
About STRIKEoutDiabetes
STRIKEoutDiabetes is an awareness and fundraising initiative partnering with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). With bowling continuing to grow as a family sport for all ages, this program has something that everyone can get involved in.
The JDRF Greater Dallas Chapter launched this pilot program with the Barnes Family in November 2009 for National Diabetes Awareness Month. Since then, the STRIKEoutDiabetes program has raised a total of over $150,000 for JDRF in the Dallas area alone with additional events taking place across the country. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this great success including Chris and Lynda Barnes, the professional bowlers, participants, sponsors and volunteers!
About the Barnes Family
Professional bowlers, Lynda and Chris Barnes, have twin boys, Troy and Ryan. In 2008, Troy was suddenly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. To stay alive, Troy must take multiple insulin injections daily and test his blood sugar by pricking his finger 6 or more times a day. While insulin allows Troy to stay alive, it is not a cure. Since Troy’s diagnosis, the Barnes’ have dedicated their celebrity status and resources to helping JDRF find a cure, including Lynda becoming a Board Member of the Greater Dallas Chapter.
The Barnes Family and Friends want to send a huge thank you for all of your support and patience while we continue to build an event that is exciting, fun, educational and most importantly helps to fund a cure with the help of JDRF. We look forward to seeing you at the 2013 STRIKEoutDiabetes Charity Event!
To learn more or make a donation to STRIKEoutDiabetes visit the STRIKEoutDiabetes website.
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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
Support JDRF with Pura Vida Bracelets
Maybe you’ve seen these colorful bands on the wrists of celebrities, models, or your friends. But Pura Vida is more than a just a hot accessory; it’s a way to support JDRF! For every “No Sugar Added” bracelet sold, Pura Vida donates $1 to support JDRF and clinical research worldwide!
Handmade in Costa Rica by the area’s finest artisans, Pura Vida bracelets represent living life to the fullest and are meant to be a celebration of each day as a gift. Show off your support of JDRF with a “No Sugar Added” bracelet… or three, or four. They’re meant to be worn together and at a price point of just $5, stylishly supporting JDRF doesn’t have to come at a major cost!
Visit the Pura Vida Bracelets website to purchase your JDRF Pura Vida bracelet!
For more ways to shop and support JDRF, visit the JDRF Dallas website for more promotions.
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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
It’s not too late to join one of the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes events! Hurry and join now… NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Pick your distance, raise money, make new friends, and have fun. Help us continue to build the Greater Dallas Team! Challenge yourself whether you are T1D or you are riding for someone else, you are raising hope for a cure and showing that anything is possible!
The JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes offers:
- Multiple fundraising and mileage options with great incentives
- Training with a USA Cycling certified coach
- Beautiful ride destinations designed for riders of all fitness levels
The journey begins by traveling to one of our destination Ride locations. Meet up with fellow riders and begin a fun-filled weekend including safety seminars, planned excursions, and team building celebrations. It all leads up to the big event… Ride Day.
New Incentives!
We have an awesome incentive this year! Check out these GREAT GIFTS to choose from if you raise $1,000 over your fundraising level:
- Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB
- 2GB Coby Mini Camcorder
- JDRF Ride Saddle Bag w/ Topeak Bike Tool
If you have any questions or concerns about selecting and meeting your Fundraising Package Level, please contact the Greater Dallas Ride Manager, Donna Henderson at dhenderson@jdrf.org or (214) 764-6777.
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To learn more about the JDRF Dallas chapter, visit our JDRF Dallas website!
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