I discovered that there is a fine line that separates healthiness and illness.

We crossed that line on Dec 4th, 2013, when my baby was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We went from a small medicine cabinet with some vitamins and a couple of bottles of likely expired cold syrup to a home filled with vials of insulin, syringes, insulin pens, glucose meters, test strips, glucagon, and glucose tabs, while continuously learning and adding more medical products and devices to our medical arsenal to manage the rascal named T1D.

A great deal of anger and depression came with the initial diagnose. Our anger known no target, as no one yet know the cause for the disease. We were just mad that such a lot has been dealt to our baby, subject the poor child to a daily routine of finger pricks and insulin injections. T1D not only traumatized our child physically, but shattered our entire family’s emotional well being.

I directed the bulk of my anger at a backpack. A backpack we filled with T1D medical supplies and a T1D log book where every meal with its associated carbohydrates, and insulin dosages must be written down. The backpack was a monstrous eye sore, a constant reminder of the disease. I resented it, and resented to be forced to carry it with us everywhere we went.

T1D Backpack


There is also just a fine thought that separates despair and hopefulness.

One day, I was reading an article about how Dr. Frederick Banting and a team of scientists discovered insulin in 1922. It had occurred to me then that prior to 1922, a T1D diagnose was a sure death sentence.

I eyed our T1D backpack, all of sudden, realized that all the supplies in our backpack are the medicine advances that are keeping my child alive–enabling her to go to school, to participate in sports, and to do all the things that she likes to do.

I felt grateful towards our backpack.

There have been many medical advancement in T1D treatment and technology since 1922. We have been very fortunate to be able to take advantage of some of them in just the past months.

In March of this year, we got an insulin pump, which is a device that my child attaches to her body to deliver insulin. We still count carbohydrates on all the food she eats, and she still have to finger prick several days a day, but the pump took away all the daily injections by syringe, and made our lives easier.

In April, we got a Dexcom CGM (continuous glucose monitor), it is another device that my child attaches to her body, and it monitors her blood sugar 24 X 7, helping us to better manager her blood glucose level, to avoid going low or high, and improves her overall long term health.

My baby with insulin pump and CGM sensor


Looking back, that initial dark period seemed like a distant past. I am no longer bitter and angry. I count my blessings instead.

I am grateful to have the best medical technology available, grateful to call an amazing group of medical professionals as our diabetes team, grateful to be a part of a most dedicated and compassionate T1D community, and I am grateful for an organization called JDRF.

JDRF is a worldwide non-profit organization dedicated to funding type 1 diabetes research. Since its inception in 1970, it has funded more than $1.7 billion in diabetes research, dramatically advancing the T1D technology frontier and greatly improving the lives of those living with the disease.

It currently supports several clinical studies worldwide, including the much anticipated Artificial Pancreas Systems and Beta Cell Encapsulation Therapies, these are the two leading “almost cure” treatments already in human clinical trials.

JDRF’s largest fund-raising event is its annual JDRF Walk to Cure event. Our local version of this event will take place this year in Silicon Valley on Oct 18th. It will be my family’s first time participating in this walk to cure event.

As we count our daily blessings, a cure is in our daily prayers. I hope you will join our cause.

Below is the link to our fund raising page, donations in any amount will be appreciated:

Our JDRF Walk to Cure fund-raising page

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