If someone you love has a child with diabetes, a father and daughter from Liberty Township have a program --which could help provide support. It's available free of charge --on line.
Marissa Hitchcock has Type One diabetes. She must balance her blood sugar levels every day with the hormone insulin to keep her alive. When she was diagnosed at age two, her dad wanted her not to feel alone in managing this disease, so he started a web- based organization -- called Children with Diabetes.
His goal initially -- just to help his daughter meet other children with diabetes on-line. But that mission has certainly been expanded and grown beyond their wildest dreams.
"Children with Diabetes or CWD as we call it, started with just a couple of web pages and has grown now to more than 31,000 pages of content and the CWD web site gets visitors from every country in the world with internet access every month."
The site now provides everything from research information --to education, to diabetes family vacations. For Marissa however -- it's also provided life-long friendships with others who have diabetes:
"Any problem I have, any frustrations, I can call them and they understand, cuz they're there."
Children with Diabetes provides daily support on line not just for practical purposes such as what to eat.
"But what we are able to do is help families understand is how have a sleepover, and how to help your child do well academically in school, in sports, what to do when they first learn to drive, how to get ready for college that's the type of thing that we provide."
The type of thing that also sends a very important message to families who have children with diabetes:
"They should grow up knowing that their children have dreams and aspirations, and those are not impaired by diabetes. You may have to plan more -- but you can do whatever you want."
Marissa is now studying to become a pediatric diabetes nurse.
