Age: 34 Year Diagnosed: 1994 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
"My dream has always been to make a difference in the lives of children living with diabetes, and the PADRE Foundation has allowed me to do just that.
I was introduced to PADRE Foundation through a local diabetes camp. As a kid with Type 1 diabetes myself, I loved camp. It was a place we belonged and a place we laughed, all while doing the daily routine of living with diabetes. But then the summer was over. I wanted a place that gave kids that kind of connection and support year round, so I was directed to the PADRE Foundation. I started with PADRE nearly 15 years ago and I have been developing programs for children and teens living with diabetes ever since. At PADRE we continue to give access to year round programs and opportunities that reinforce the idea that we all can live happily with the struggles of diabetes together, a message that would have helped me so much when I was growing up with Type 1 diabetes.
When people dream, when they cry or when they pray, they close their eyes. It is a time of intimacy, a deeply personal moment that fills our hearts and is only shared by those who you really trust to understand. That is what I wanted the PADRE Foundation to be. A place where having diabetes is nothing more than your entrance ticket to a world of irresistible love and acceptance. This vision and passion is what drives me. Today, the PADRE Foundation is one of the most unique and thriving organizations in Southern California and I am so proud to be a part of that."