team spaghetti Os

09/05/2017

Happy End of Summer to everyone! For the 13th year our family will be taking part in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes / JDRF One Walk. The Walk is just two weeks away on September 10th at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Since Olivia was diagnosed with Type 1 at the age of 2 in 2005, the Walk has been an important part of our family. I remember when she was younger she said it was “better than Christmas”. It is a time to come together to support those with T1 like Olivia and raise money that is critical for diabetes research. Ultimately we all want a cure but this research has been used to create technology that has literally changed the life span for those with T1 and allows them to live much fuller lives.

Hard to believe that Olivia will be 15 in October. She continues to handle her diabetes with maturity far beyond her age and serves as the strongest advocate for herself even in challenging situations.

After 13 years we have decided to switch things up a bit this year and concentrate more on education than a specific fundraising $$ goal. I had a good friend ask a question about Olivia’s care a few weeks ago and it made me realize that like many T1 families, we work so hard to ensure that the disease does not get in the way of Olivia’s activities and goals that we often do not do a great job at articulating how much work it actually takes and how difficult this disease is to manage everyday (and night – especially at night!).

So instead of a specific $ goal we are setting a goal of having 125 people donate to the walk. And in addition will be sending links to help educate those who are interested on the disease and its care. AND we are setting a second goal of 40 people emailing Olivia ([email protected]) over the next week with a question about anything to do with diabetes – the actual disease, how it affects her, how annoying her parents are… anything! She will consolidate the questions and answer them in an email sometime next week. We got this idea from when Olivia was in 1st grade and her teacher (the fantastic Alex Keldin) asked Olivia and I to answer some of the kids’ questions. All the kids put their questions in a box and Olivia sat in the front of the class and went through them. I remember a few of the questions - “Why do you eat Starburst in class”; “How many times do you stick a needle in your finger” and “Can you die from diabetes”. I remember being impressed with Olivia’s maturity then and even more so now. So she looks forward to your questions – serious and not so serious!

We would also love to have you at the Walk on Sunday (9/10) at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. This is a link to join Olivia’s team. We are going to find a place to hang out for an hour or two after the Walk and will let everyone know: https://www2.jdrf.org/site/TRR/Walk/RockyMountainChapter4072/670561739?pg=utype&fr_id=7018

If you would like to donate here is the link: https://www2.jdrf.org/site/Donation2?idb=169292700&df_id=19106&19106.donation=form1&FR_ID=7018&mfc_pref=T&PROXY_ID=1406200&PROXY_TYPE=20

As part of our push for education please find a few links below.
A very high level view of what Type 1 is: http://www.jdrf.org/about/fact-sheets/type-1-diabetes-facts/

A good short general overview on insulin pumps:
https://www.endocrineweb.com/guides/insulin/insulin-pump-overview
A short video that shows you what Olivia has to do every two days when changing her insulin pump site:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_krABbTjaw

A unique perspective on being a T1 parent from a mom who lost her son to T1 diabetes at 13:
https://beyondtype1.org/tired-t1d-parent/

06/24/2015

Greetings from a gorgeous start to summer in Colorado! After a rare almost two weeks of rain, we had a stunning week in Denver and Frisco. Hard to believe but this is the 11th time I have sat down to write this note. Team SpaghettiOs is turning 11 this year. As many of you know our oldest daughter Olivia (“Liv” since starting middle school this year… sigh) was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of two.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease - meaning it never goes away or improves. For a reason we still don’t understand, Olivia’s autoimmune system killed the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is a critical hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into cells which you need for absolutely everything your body does. This is a very different disease than the much more common Type 2 diabetes where the body resists the effects of insulin— or doesn't produce enough. Unfortunately for Olivia the things that can often help Type 2 (eating well, exercise, reducing stress as well as many other things that help regulate or manage blood sugar levels) do not help her produce or better absorb insulin. Simply put, Olivia’s pancreas is broken so every ounce of insulin her body needs to grow and function, must come through a shot or her insulin pump.

I still have vivid memories of the first few days after Olivia was diagnosed – being rushed to Children’s Hospital and spending two days at The Barbara Davis Diabetes Center learning what our new life was going to be like. At that time Olivia was getting 6-10 shots a day. I still remember asking my mom to cut a hole in Olivia’s one piece ski suit and replacing it with Velcro so we could pull off on the side of the hill and give her a shot rather than going into the lodge! Even from such a young age, Olivia has been brave and mature when facing her disease.

In 1st grade Olivia’s teacher, Mrs. Keldin, reached out and said the kids in class were asking a lot of questions about Olivia’s care and wondered if we would do a Q&A. Each kid put their questions in a box and Olivia sat in front of the class at the age of 7 and answered them all. The questions ranged from “What is diabetes” to “Why does Olivia get to eat Starbursts when I don’t” to “What does it feel like to have diabetes” to “Can you die from diabetes”. I can still remember Olivia’s answer to the last question - “Yes I can die from diabetes but that is why I test my blood sugar so much and eat Starburst sometimes and why my parents and I work hard every day to help keep me healthy”. I was so proud and so sad (in probably equal amounts) at that moment.

It’s hard to articulate just how much work and maintenance this disease requires until you live it every day. It is hard and exhausting and causes burnout. But if ignored, Olivia’s body always pays the price with high or low blood sugars. The consequences of low blood sugars are scary and immediate: blurry vision, shakiness, inability to concentrate, seizures and death. Consequences of continuously high blood sugars are scary and usually longer term: cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney failure, blindness, skin problems, teeth and gum infections and death.

Scary stuff. To try and avoid this, Olivia has to guess correctly as to exactly how many carbohydrates she eats at every meal and snack. She also has to react to things other than food that affect her blood sugar like sickness (the flu and allergies are ridiculously hard to manage), exercise, excitement and anxiety. Some of these are tough to manage because you never know if they are going to shoot her blood sugars high or low. Excitement tends to send her low and anxiety high until they do the opposite….

Just to give you a very small example as to how complex things are everyday… If Olivia were to test her blood sugar (she does this 6-12 times/day) and it was 75 (typically a great number!) she would have to ask herself several questions to figure out how she would need to react:
• Does she have any insulin that she gave herself and still is being absorbed by her body over the next few hours
• Did she eat something in the last few hours that takes longer for her body to break down (high amount of carbohydrates or something with a high fat and carbohydrate count combined)
• Does she have gym class coming up or any considerable exercise
• Is she doing anything soon where it would be challenging to react to a low blood sugar
• When is her next meal/snack
• Have her blood sugars been running particularly low/high during this time of day in the last week or two
• Is her pump site coming to end of its life cycle
• The list goes on….

But even with all of this to manage at school, at home, during sports, playing with friends and while she sleeps, Olivia does the work and keeps the attitude that she is going to accomplish whatever she sets her mind to even. She patiently explains the disease and her care to people who are curious and inspires confidence in those around her including David and me.

So because of Olivia and the millions of children and adults who deal with this disease every single day, we are asking for your help and support as Team SpaghettiOs participates in its 11th One Walk/Walk to Cure Diabetes with the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). The JDRF is the leading global organization funding Type 1 diabetes research. This research is critical to not just finding a cure for this disease but helping manage it more effectively. The technology that has become commonplace in just the last ten years since Olivia was diagnosed is mind boggling. I can’t wait for the next ten years!

If you will be in Denver, we would love to have you join us for the walk on Sunday, September 13th at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden. Over the last ten years, Olivia has raised over $200,000 for diabetes research and is shooting for $25,000 this year. There is a link below to donate to Olivia, sign up as a team member, as well a link proving more information on something exciting she will be doing with the JDRF in a few weeks. Every two years the JDRF sponsors children from each state living with Type 1 to gather in Washington, D.C., to meet face-to-face with Congressmen/women and their staff. The kids get to help Members of Congress understand what life with T1D is like and why research is so critical to find a cure and improve daily life with the disease. Olivia will be representing Colorado this year.

Thank you for reading this very long note and thank you for your support over these ten years – it is incredibly appreciated and important to Olivia and our entire family.
--Olivia, Alex, Bekah, David, Charlie & CJ

TO DONATE TO OLIVIA
It is easy and safe to donate to Olivia online using the following link or you can always send a check to Olivia made out to the J.D.R.F. – 1115 S. Jackson Street Denver, CO 80210

https://www2.jdrf.org/site/Donation2?idb=2092463213&df_id=15263&FR_ID=5412&PROXY_ID=1406200&PROXY_TYPE=20&15263.donation=form1

TO JOIN OLIVIA’S TEAM
https://www2.jdrf.org/site/TRR/Walk/Chapter-RockyMountain4072/80793396?pg=utype&fr_id=5412

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OLIVIA’S UPCOMING TRIP TO DC
http://kdvr.com/2015/06/11/colorado-kids-fighting-for-their-cure-in-washington/
http://cc.jdrf.org/delegates/olivia-co/

JDRF One Walk raises money for life-changing T1D research.

05/18/2015

Team SpaghettiOs needs your help this year. Olivia is trying to put together a video montage of everyone who supports her and the JDRF through emails, friendships, calls, donations etc… She is looking for super simple, short videos – literally take your phone – say “I/We am/are Team SpaghettiOs”. That’s it! No editing – nothing else. And we want all of you! Our friend Ian has made it even easier to send your videos with this link. https://dbinbox.com/iankeldin If you can’t do a video we would love a picture of you showing your support!

All you have to do is:
-- Click through to the link
-- Press the small blue “Choose Files” button in the upper-right hand part of the page and press on your short video
-- THAT’S IT!

DBinbox is perfect for collecting client documents, gathering wedding photos and videos, or receiving files too big to send over email.

09/10/2013

Great day at the JDRF Walk on Sunday. Thanks to your generosity we have raised $10,203 in donations and $1,820 in corporate matches - so a grand total of 12,023!! With just a few weeks left to fundraise we are 60% of the way to our goal of raising $20,000 for diabetes research. Woot! Woot! Thank you to everyone for your generous donations, wonderful notes and for joining us in the heat on Sunday!!

06/05/2013

OK I needed some motivation to get crackin' on Team SpaghettiOs. This is it.
http://jdrf.org/blog/2013/my-friend-my-inspiration/

My Friend, My InspirationBy JDRFMay 29, 2013Losing a friend is hard, but losing a friend to T1D is harder. By Catrina Curtis(15 years old, Mississippi)I can still remember the exact moment, almost three years ago, when my mom told me that my friend Lindsi had passed away. My mom had picked me up fr...

01/12/2013

Team SpaghettiOs - Riding on Insulin could use your help! ROI is a great organization led by Sean Busby and his wife Mollie. It seeks to empower, activate and connect the global diabetes community through shared experience and action sports - mostly skiing and snowboarding so right up our alley! They strive to help families explore new passions, challenge diabetes and celebrate each other’s successes. They are only 33 Likes away from 1500 - maybe you can help them get there! Riding On Insulin

09/08/2012

Check out Team Spaghetti Os fabulous walk shirts designed by Matt Strackbein at Spyder. Do ya think she likes 'em?? :) We're getting geared up for the walk tomorrow!

09/04/2012

5 Days until the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes!

I hope that everyone is recovering from a great long weekend. When the girls and I walked to school this morning there was definitely a hint of Fall in the air. Ski season must be just around the corner….

On the Friday before school started, we were invited to the Spyder offices in Boulder by Matt Strackbein and JJ Collier. It was an incredible afternoon. We got to tour the entire office and see where the magic happens. Everyone was incredibly kind and supportive- coming out to see us on our tour. We ended our stay with Spyder presenting Olivia with a Lindsey Vonn race suit, a fun photo shoot, an offer from Matt to design our shirts every year (YEAH!) and such a great memory. Olivia (and all of us) could not stop beaming. To read about our visit check out this link to Spyder’s blog. http://blog.spyder.com/post/30322267067/jdrf. It even got a shout out on the US Ski team page on August 27th.

With only 5 days and counting until the Walk this Sunday, we’re gearing up for the big day as well as the 5th Annual JDRF Popsicle Sale at the girls’ school (Cory Elementary) on Friday afternoon. We’re thrilled to say that we have raised $17,600 – almost 90% of our $20,000 goal ($15,600 in online donations and checks and $2,000 of corporate matches). Woo-hoo! Again we greatly appreciate all of your support of Type 1 diabetes research. It has and will continue to make a huge impact on the lives of millions - including Olivia.

We look forward to seeing you in-person or in-spirit at the Walk this Sunday!

Olivia Westall in her new Lindsey Vonn custom race suit during her visit to Spyder. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), holds an annual charity walk in Denver to raise money and awareness for children with diabetes. Earlier this year, a nine year old girl with Type 1 diabetes, Olivi...

08/15/2012

So excited to say that Team SpaghettiOs won the JDRF Team Week Challenge. We raised the most money in Colorado last week for the 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes. So we get to donate the Colorado Rockies party to the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. WIN. WIN! Thank you again for all of your support. We have raised 65% of our goal!!

08/09/2012

Quick update on Team SpaghettiO’s fundraising for the 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes. We are over halfway to our goal of raising $20,000. With donations and corporate matches, we have raised $10,245 for Type 1 diabetes research. Woo-hoo! Thank you so much for your generosity and support.

This week is actually “Team Week” at the JDRF. In an effort to get all teams motivated for the walk, the JDRF is offering a party at an upcoming Rockies game for 10 people with dinner and drinks included for the Team Captain who raises the most money THIS WEEK. When Olivia and Alex read the email last night they said that we are lucky enough to go to a few Rockies game each year. So they came up with the idea of donating the party if we win. So we need your help to win the big prize this week so we can donate the tickets and dinner to the Boys & Girls Club of Denver. So if you were thinking of supporting Team SpaghettiOs, this is your chance to donate to two great organizations with just one donation!

Donating online is easy and secure - link below. http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-CO/Chapter-RockyMountain4072?px=1406200&pg=personal&fr_id=1864

Again thank you for all of your support!

08/06/2012

Team SpaghettiOs has raised $10,045 so far for Type 1 diabetes research with just over a month to go until the 2012 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. That is over 50% of our $20,000 team goal. Thank you so much to all of you for your donations, letters, emails and corporate matches!!!

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-CO/Chapter-RockyMountain4072?px=1406200&pg=personal&fr_id=1864