Although we are strangers, we have much in common.  We have a child that we love dearly.  That child has a child (or more!) that we love equally as much, if not a tad more.  We love this whole little group to the moon and back. As grandparents, we’d give all we have to keep our families happy, healthy and safe. 

We have more in common: a grandchild with type 1 diabetes (T1D). 

That wasn’t something we wanted for our grandchild and it’s something we can’t fix by ourselves.  However there is strength in numbers and our numbers can help raise funds for JDRF which will benefit our grandsons and granddaughters.  These kids didn’t do anything to deserve this but we can do a whole lot to help them live with it. 

 Our lives changed on Memorial Day weekend of 2014.  We were all at the Lake of the Ozarks having a great time.  Six year-old, Jackson was his normal self, EXCEPT he drank a lot that Saturday.  He guzzled a can of diet root beer.  When you drink that much, you pee.  However, his mother sensed something wasn’t quite right.  She had suspected something wasn’t quite right for a few days.  That Sunday, our daughter and her husband decided to take Jackson to the local urgent care center, near the hospital.  Jackson wasn’t too happy about it.  He said he felt fine! 

Jackson’s sugar was 666 when tested at the urgent care center.  He was sent straight to the hospital.  He had Juvenile Diabetes which is type 1 diabetes.  Since we were so far from home, he was airlifted to Children’s Hospital.  No one could fly with him so we called the other set of grandparents, Maureen and Tim Adler, to meet the helicopter at Children’s.  Our daughter and son-in-law had a very long, three hour drive to get to their child.  We followed with the two little guys.  Within about 48 hours, our daughter and her husband, an aunt and grandparents were trained to manage type 1 diabetes.  Our lives were forever changed.  No one understands how unless they have a loved one with type 1 diabetes.  You and I understand.  We know.    

There are so many smart people in universities and research companies working on a cure.  They are so close with several amazing technologies!  They need funding to support their work.  There are more wonderful people associated with JDRF supporting all of that research.  The purpose of JDRF is to fund type 1 diabetes research.  The vision of JDRF is a world without type 1 diabetes.  Therefore, this is the organization we want to support! 

Strangers though we are, we share a common desire for our grandchildren to live long, healthy and happy lives.  Let’s make it a reality. That’s where the grandparents come in!   Please send your donation today so we can show our grandkids we’re here for them – to the moon and back!

Thank you in advance for your support!  We’d love to meet you at the JDRF Gala on May 7, 2016!

 Steve and Joanne Bittick, aka, Ma and Pa