Monday, January 19, 2009

Help Tiburon Out! Ride for the Cure Juvenile Diabetes

Help Tiburon out with her fund raising for juvenile diabetes research. Click here



For those of you that are new to my blog, you may or may not know that my son has Type 1 Diabetes. He was diagnosed almost 5 years ago.

The diagnosis was heartbreaking. As a parent you try to do everything you can to help your kids and keep them safe. When the doctor said "He has diabetes" my heart ripped in two. They admitted him to the hospital and I spent the first couple of days going through the motions - I completely shut down. On the third day - as I sat in the Forever Young playroom at Primary Children's Medical Center - I had an epiphany. It could be worse - so much worse. There were kids in that hospital that had diseases that were 10 times worse than diabetes. There were kids that would never walk again. Kids that may only live another year, or month, or day. There were kids with cancer and leukemia and congenital heart conditions - you name it. Ethan only had diabetes. We would learn and get control and he would be able to walk and run and play sports and get married and have kids and a pretty normal life.

I changed that day. I had something to fight for. A cause. Some direction. I went home and started doing research - read everything I could get my hands on. We enrolled in studies. We taught him about his disease. And most importantly we found an organization to put our time and energy into. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is our charity of choice. They are the ones that are raising the money and doing the research and finding the breakthroughs that will lead to a cure. Most importantly, they focus on finding a cure for type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. Not education. Not type 2. FINDING A CURE.

Every year I support them and raise money for the Walk to Cure Diabetes - but this year I am taking it up a notch. I just signed up to do the Ride to Cure Diabetes in June. This is what the ride entails: I agree to raise the minimum $4200 and they fly me and my bike to Sonoma, California so that I can cycle 105 miles in ONE DAY. I want to point out a few obvious things (so you don't need to):

1. I don't own a bike. For real.

2. I have never riden a mile on a bike - much less 105 in one day. Sure I do spin class - but that bike doesn't move. As far as real bikes go - haven't riden one since I was a kid.

3. I am aware that economic times are tough and I am trying to scale a pretty big mountain to meet the minimum fund-raising requirement of $4200.

4. Now that I am signed up I am committed. If I can't raise the $4200 I have to pay it myself.

5. I am freaking insane. I have 5 months to raise the money and get my buns in shape.

6. All of these things hit me like a freight train at 3:03 in the morning when I woke up in a cold sweat.

So there you have it. This is where you come in. I need help. BAD.

If you are interested in donating to my cause you can click here. (Your donation is tax deductible!) If you want to encourage me - I will take it. I need all the money and encouragement I can get. If you want to post about this on your blog - I might kiss you. More than anything I just need support. I need the support of my friends and family to pull me through and keep me going when I want to quit - because I know I will want to quit.

I won't be hitting you up to walk with me this year. This is it. This is the Big Kahuna - the whole ball of wax. It all comes down to 105 miles in wine country on one day in June. For Ethan.


I love Tiburon I am always amazed at the things she puts her mind to. I am sure she will raise the money but she needs all the help she can get. Go on over and help her raise the $4200.00

1 comments:

tiburon said...

Thank you so much for the shout out!! You are awesome! :)