I felt it was important to not just put my picture on this fundraising page, but to also include my amazing six-year-old niece Brynn.  Doctors diagnosed her with Type 1 Diabetes when she was just 22-months-old.  Brynn is the bravest 6-year-old I know and handles her disease with a maturity and grace that is incredible.

For those of you who may not know much about Type 1 Diabetes - or T1D - it is an autoimmune disease that has no known cause and no cure.   It is very different from Type 2, which often is linked to obesity, and can be maintained through medication, diet and exercise.   There is NO magic pill for Type 1.  Instead, there are dangerous insulin highs and lows, sometimes without warning.  There are multiple finger stabs every day to check blood sugar levels, and nonstop carbohydrate counting.   There is unpredictability, instability and constant worry.   A Type 1 Diabetic recently told me maintaining his blood sugar is and always will be his first job.  It comes before his family, his friends, his profession, and his passions.  It is an every-day stress, and there are no days off.  

Still, when you meet someone with T1D, they look healthy.   Attend any JDRF walk in Metro Atlanta and you’ll find hundreds, sometimes thousands of people laughing, smiling and having a good time for a great cause.  It’s because Type 1’s – whether they are children or adults - are a strong, resilient and amazing bunch.   Their constant hope is the reason why JDRF and those of us who support the organization do what we do.

I am proud to represent my employer, WSB-TV, as a member of the 2015 class of JDRF’s One Group.  Please help me to help this wonderful organization in its cause.  Consider joining us at the One Group event, or donate to my fundraising campaign – no amount is too great or too small.   The money raised will help JDRF fund research that will improve the lives of Type 1 Diabetics, like Brynnie, and ultimately find a cure for her and the thousands of others who live with T1D every day.

On behalf of my entire family, I thank you for your support!