If you are a loved one has been newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), you are not alone!  Tens of thousands in Arizona live with T1D and at least one is diagnosed every day, and unfortunately, that number is on the rise.

First of all, what is T1D?  T1D is an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly.  Meaning, there isn’t anything you did or didn’t do that resulted in this diagnosis.  What happens, is that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin (called beta cells).  We all need insulin to live.  It allows our bodies to use the food we eat for fuel.  Without it, food turns into a simple sugar in the blood called glucose, and because it cannot get into the cells of the body without insulin, it stays in the blood, causing damage.  Type 2 diabetes is different.  The body still produces insulin, but either not enough or the body cannot use it effectively (called insulin resistance).  Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through diet, exercise and positive lifestyle changes.  Both major types of diabetes share the same complications. 

During diagnosis, you may have been inundated with clinical information and trained to care for yourself, your child or a loved one.  While your brain is buzzing with new numbers and ways to go about your day, JDRF is here for you every step of the way, through our multi-faceted Outreach Program.  The Desert Southwest Chapter offers two programs for those newly diagnosed and their families, remembering that a diagnosis is not patient-specific but entire families and households receive the diagnosis and must learn to live with T1D.

Bag of Hope Program

JDRF partners with Roche Accu Chek to provide the Bag of Hope free of charge to newly diagnosed children and their families.  Inside are resources for parents, including “A First Book for Understanding Diabetes,” by Dr. Peter Chase of the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, a mini Calorie King to help with carb counting, a book and comic book on diabetes for children, an Accu Check glucose meter and Rufus, the Bear with Diabetes.  Rufus has pads for all his sites, so children and Rufus can check their blood sugar and take insulin together.  When you receive a Bag of Hope, your healthcare professional will either provide you with a form to fill out in order to receive more resources from JDRF, or there will be a card for you to send us your information.  If you did not receive a Bag of Hope upon diagnosis, you can request one directly from our Chapter by clicking HERE.

The JDRF Mentorship Program

The Mentorship Program is the cornerstone of our Chapter Outreach Program.  JDRF trains parents of children with T1D and adults with T1D who have lived with diabetes for at least one year to reach out to those newly diagnosed.  Through the Bag of Hope Program, newly diagnosed families can elect to receive a mentor.  Mentors are the voice of empathy and compassion, as they themselves have been through a life-altering diagnosis.  Mentors can also be requested for those who have lived with diabetes for years, but would like someone to vent to and from whom to find motivation.

In 2011, over 70 families were supported by JDRF Mentors!  As more families and adults are diagnosed, we need more mentors!

If you would like to serve as a mentor, join us for our 2012 Mentor Training and RSVP to Shasta Broyles at sbroyles@jdrf.org!

If you would to receive a mentor, please download and fax our request form HERE.