Twin Brothers Battle Life Threatening Disease and Fundraise to Attend Diabetes Camp

It will be 3 years on May 29th that my son, Andrew, who was 8 years of age at the time, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). A day that will forever be remember as the day our world came crashing down. Today, Andrew is 11 and is handling his disease as best as any child could. There are ups and downs as would be expected. Andrew just tries to be a normal kid and at times it can be difficult with this disease, but it certainly does not stop him from being Andrew. On March 31, 2015, the nightmare that we prayed would never happen happened. Andrew’s identical twin brother, Duane, was diagnosed with T1D as well. Both my handsome boys have now been inflicted with this life threatening disease. My husband and I never imagined in a million years that this would become a part of our family. Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas called beta cells. While insulin injections and infusion allow a person with T1D to stay alive, they do not cure the disease, nor do they necessarily prevent the possibility of the disease’s serious effects which include kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, heart attack and stroke to name a few. This disease requires 24/7 management. There are no vacations from it. Both boys will have 8-10 finger pricks per day, anywhere from 6-10 insulin injections per day, sitting out of a basketball game or a few innings of baseball because of a low, up at 2:30am every morning for a snack for a low or insulin injection to bring down a high...it goes on and on and there are not guarantees of a good day. It’s a constant balancing act. Needless to say, we are beyond proud of our boys and their strength....the strength that keeps up going. My husband and I have decided that we want to do something for the boys that will give them a sense of feeling like everyone else which is crucial for their well being and overall future. Therefore, we would like to send them to a wonderful diabetes camp which will allow them to spend time with children who also battle the challenges of T1D. Unfortunately, it is an expense so we decided to create a fundraiser on GOFUNDME.com in hopes of support. We find it difficult to ask for this kind of support, but it is beneficial to our boys and there is nothing we wouldn’t do to improve their lives. Therefore, if you are able to help, please go to http://www.gofundme.com/twinsjourney for further information on donating. If monetary capacity is not possible, prayers are always a gift to our family. We will be eternally grateful for whatever you can do. Anything over our goal will be contributed to the boys costly medical expenses and supplies. God Bless, Candy & Duane Johnson