Monday, October 31, 2011

Another walk - doing my bit for JDRF!

Well, I was far too exhausted to write a post yesterday, so time to get onto it now.

Yesterday Issie and I went to the JDRF Walk at Parramatta Park in Western Sydney. This is the biggest Walk in NSW.

We weren't walking for Team 2 SWEET at this event, instead we were there to help promote the JDRF Peer Support Program.

A few weeks ago I was asked if I would like to be one of the "pin-up girls" for the Peer Support program, along with one of the Sydney office co-ordinators, Vivienne Todd. Of course I accepted! Vivienne and I were then photographed for the new Peer Support flyers:


Vivienne and I were both there at the Parramatta walk yesterday, talking to parents about the Peer Support Program, trying to drum up volunteers and also letting people know that we're there to help!

Issie started out helping with the kids table where we had kids write their hopes or what a cure would mean to them on a Walk Boot which was then pinned to the Wall of Hope:


Issie's main job, however, was to babysit Vivienne's 5 year old T1D daughter and her friend and keep them occupied while Vivienne and I worked the crowd! Her first babysitting gig - which she took VERY seriously, and did a great job of looking out for hypos and getting her little charge straight to her mother if she suspected she may be a little low. She had a lot of fun with the girls and is now begging me to let her babysit other kids - she has a couple of years before she can do that though.

During the course of the day we had a lot of parents asking JDRF staff whether there was an online support service they could access because something like that suited their lifestyle and would allow them to access support when they needed it.



I am absolutely THRILLED to announce that the JDRF have been recommending the Parents of Aussie Kids with Type 1 Diabetes Support Network, a network I founded shortly after Issie's diagnosis, to families and I was called over to chat to various parents throughout the day about that support network and the kind of support offered there. This is a HUGE accomplishment for the Support Network because the JDRF now recognises the PAKWT1DSN as a safe and secure environment that has proven to be an amazing source of support and encouragement for families right across Australia. 




So, despite the pouring rain at one point, and the stifling heat and burning sun at another, the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes at Parramatta Park was a HUGE success!

Can't wait for next year!

1 comment:

  1. sounds like you had a great day! and what a wonderful support network you have going as well! I live in Canada, but I know how much support I get from our groups here and I think it is a wonderful thing. :o) Great job!

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