Brooke MacNaughtan is the oldest daughter of Dane and Ruth Leavitt. She is the mother of three beautiful children, two of whom share the challenge of type 1 diabetes. Here is their story.
Not many years ago, I knew nearly nothing about type 1 diabetes (T1D). I didn’t know it was an autoimmune disease. I didn’t know there was no way, known to us now, to prevent it. I never gave any thought to injectable insulin. Now, I’m indebted to it daily. With the diagnosis of our oldest child, Xander, and then a few years later our youngest, Neve, T1D has woven itself deeply into our family’s life. I’ve seen photos of children lying in hospital beds in the years before they discovered insulin – wasting away and waiting to die. They’re heartbreaking. I’m immeasurably grateful for the countless hours of T1D research and the resulting advancements which allow my children the opportunity to live.

Every time I meet another parent of a child with T1D (or someone with T1D themselves), I can’t help but tear up as we relate. I know the struggle can be relentless – there’s no vacation. The carb count, the constant finger-prick blood testing, the insulin dose calculating, the insulin shot, or insulin pump button-pushing – every time someone with T1D eats. If you get it wrong and blood glucose goes too high, it ruins organs (kidney damage, lost eyesight, lost limbs, etc.). If they get too much insulin and their blood glucose plummets too low, they can die.

The advancements made in T1D care even since our family started its journey with T1D four years ago are amazing and make me optimistic. The research JDRF does is exciting. They are a wonderful organization. The work they do gives me hope that one day soon they will reach their goal of a world without type 1 diabetes.

Sometimes, no matter how well you calculate, things don’t go as expected due to exercise, illness, growth hormones, stress, the type of food you eat, etc. Blood glucose requires constant monitoring. The night is often the hardest when you know your care is what stands between low blood glucose levels and your child not waking up. There is an instant bond and understanding by being part of this club we never knew we would join. But when we talk, there’s also a whole lot of hope.

– Brooke MacNaughtan