Free Rock Climbing for Kids with Type 1 Diabetes

Rock Type 1, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to encourage kids and their families to be active and foster community among those affected by Type 1 Diabetes, is holding a free rock climbing event this Sunday, April 8th for kids and teens with Type 1 Diabetes. The event will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Central Rock Gym located at 275 West Natick Road in Warwick, RI. To register for the event, please visit their website.

]For many parents, a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes for their child often brings fear and dread. If their blood sugar drops too low, they can become unconscious or even die. If their blood sugar goes too high, they can develop diabetic ketoacidosis, which can lead to organ failure. Post-diagnosis thoughts immediately turn to what their child can no longer physically do, such as sports, sleepovers, parties and vacations, versus what they can do.

A local East Greenwich doctor and his family are trying to change that.

Brown Medicine’s Dr. Stephen Scott and his spouse, Dr. Susan Ramsey, are medical professionals whose son, Liam, was diagnosed in 2010 at the age of 7 with Type 1 Diabetes. As outdoor enthusiasts, they were worried their family trips backpacking in the wilderness and mountain climbing in farflung locations such as the French Alps would have to be curtailed.

Dr. Scott serves as clinical assistant professor of medicine and an internist with Brown Medicine’s Warwick Adult Medicine and his spouse is the interim director of the Research Division of General Internal Medicine at RI Hospital. Together they formed Rock Type 1, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to encourage kids and their families to be active and foster community among those affected by the medical condition.

“There are lots of sleepless nights for parents of kids with Type 1 Diabetes if blood sugars are too high or too low. It’s particularly scary when kids go low at night because of the possible dire consequences. Even if the blood sugars are in a good range, a lot of parents set alarms to check on their kids during the night, “ states Dr. Scott, who notes that sleepless nights continue to be his new normal. “Even with today’s continuous glucose monitoring technology, I still get up and check on Liam.”

Rock Type 1 holds events at rock climbing gyms all over New England for parents and children affected by Type 1 Diabetes to not only enjoy exercise, camaraderie, motivational speakers and refreshments, but to allow parents to talk with others who understand and live the life of someone dealing with Type 1 Diabetes. They also host a weekend of outdoor climbing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire each summer.

“The other part of why we started the nonprofit is that we promised Liam nothing would change. He would be able to go outside and climb mountains, and we could encourage others to do the same. The natural tendency is to keep your child at home and watch him like a hawk and not let him do anything physical because everything affects blood sugar. We use the website and our social media channels to post the things we do, to show people that they can do it, too.”

Liam Scott has also started a fundraising campaign for Insulin For Life-USA to help those who have limited or no access to the insulin and glucose testing supplies needed to survive, particularly in developing countries and areas affected by natural disasters in the U.S. and around the world. His goal is to raise $10,000. The Scott family plans to climb Mount Rainier (at 14,411’ it’s the highest mountain of the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest) in the state of Washington this August 2018 to raise awareness for the cause.

For more information on Rock Type 1, rock climbing events and Liam’s fundraising efforts, visit http://rocktype1.org.