Hello, to anyone who reads this thread! Our son was just diagnosed in September. He’s 8. I think he’s going through stages of grief right now and I am wondering if there are any support groups for children with T1D in the LV area? I’m hoping for more support than fundraising events as we are already involved in that aspect. I’ve reached out to Sugar Free Kids a couple months ago, but no one has gotten back to me so I’m thinking that program is maybe defunct in this locality.
@CoopsMomWelcome Rita, to the TypeOneNation Forum! I hope that you will be able soon to find support for your son AND for yourself.
I have found really helpful and supportive people affected by diabetes through a JDRF Chapter - there were about 30 people this morning at our monthly Cups-of-Hope gathering - most were mothers/grandmothers of young children with diabetes.
You may find a Chapter near you by selecting the “EVENTS” tab at the top of this page and then choose “JDRF Near You”; enter your zip code and see who you find. Not all chapters are the same, but the sub-group of the chapter near here has a kids and a teen meeting most months. Another avenue for you [also JDRF] is when you are on the JDRF page look for a TypeOneNation Summit - these are excellent, free day-long events attended by many and with programs designed for all age groups - and you can do much networking.
It’s so wonderful of you to reach out! Thank you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like our local chapter hosts any of those types of events. The next thing he could attend near us is a One Walk in April and that’s about a two hour drive away. We’ll keep watching though. And he has met one boy in his school, a grade younger, with diabetes who he gets to see for about 5 minutes at lunch time most days.
Hi @CoopsMom! Welcome to TypeOneNation and to the world of T1D. I’m approaching my 10th year with this condition (I’m currently 17) and I know how overwhelming a new diagnosis is for the whole family–please feel free to post on here, or pm me, if you have any questions or need someone to talk to.
Unfortunately I don’t live in your area; however, there are a few things I’d suggest. First of all, I see from your reply to Dennis that your son has already found a T1 friend at his school–that’s great! I’m the only student at my school with T1D and I’m sure having a friend with the condition would make the transition easier.
Another amazing resource that I’ve taken advantage of is the BeyondTypeOne pen pal program! They match kids with T1D up with a pen pal around the same age. It’s an amazing way to connect with other T1 kids. Also, you might want to look into attending a Friends For Life conference–they’re held every year and while I’ve never been to one, I’ve heard they’re a great experience for T1 kids and families.
Best of luck!
Oh we’re loving this forum already and are so grateful for it! And you! Thanks so much for taking some time for me. I can’t say enough how much I respect you. Those sound like great ideas for Cooper and I will definitely look into them. I especially think the pen pal idea will be a great fit. I wish you all the best!
Sometimes Facebook has local groups. I was surprised to see a FB group in my city for T1. There are also moms groups and sometimes you can get that local support. Good luck.
Hi Joe! I’ve actually been social media sober for 7 years. But since we’ve found ourselves in this situation, and I’m craving knowledge and community, I’ve realized I’m getting pushed closer and closer back in… we shall see. Really appreciate your suggestions. Have a great day!
Welcome to the best community you never wanted to be part of. T1D is tough, but the community is amazing. We lived in Bucks County PA when my daughter was diagnosed and we found TOPP - Type One Parent Project. I think the website is topp.org. It may be a little far from you but I would suggest getting in touch with then. Its an amazing group and we were so lucky to find them. They host activities for kids/ families and might also be able to connect you with other T1D families near you. JDRF is also great but we found in PA they focused more on fundraising.
Wonderful!!! Thanks so much for sharing TOPP with us!! A bit of good news finally! Already checking it out. It’s a bit far for the Tuesday night meetings, but I’m sure we can still be involved! God Bless!!