Magalie L'Abbé

I completed my first JDRF Walk this morning! It was very exciting. Despite having no idea what to expect, it was fun and went off without much of a glitch.

My final Team Lindsey consisted of three other people and myself. Two girls, two guys. Two diabetics, two non-D's. It was a fun group.

We made it the whole 5k walking at a fairly brisk pace. The two diabetics held steady with our blood sugars. I ended the walk at a lovely 136 after eating a small (38 carb) breakfast with no bolus and dialing down the basal by 0.25.

At the end of the day, we raised over $700 with a few donations still being mailed into JDRF. I'm so proud of my team on their efforts and personal contributions! Every dollar is a step closer to finding a cure for me.

The walk festivities started at 7am. There was a warm up with our local NFL team's cheerleaders at 7:50. And the walk started soon after. Around 9:45, they started with all sorts of post-walk activities like magic shows, clowns, and tons of special guests.

Team Lindsey began the walk at 9 am and finished by 10 am. There were hundreds of people there from kids to adults and the able bodied to the disabled. Lots of teams had colored and coordinated shirts (something I plan for next year). And lots had heart-wrenching causes.

One little girl's team motto was "Make her first walk her last!" which actually brought tears to my eyes. I watched this young girl and her family walk towards a cure, figuratively and literally. I had been in her shoes.

I certainly understand that fighting for a cure isn't just about my cause. It's always been about the millions of people (including my own father) that deal with this disease alongside my own issue with it. But today, it hit me that every single moment of every single day, another little girl is being diagnosed with diabetes and having her life turned upside down like mine was over fifteen years ago.

I want my first walk to be my last as well. I'd love to walk next year in celebration of no insulin pumps, no finger checks, and no A1c's. I want to fight for a cure for myself, for my dad, for the little girl today, and for every other diabetic. We all need a cure.