Celebrating Diaversaries with Nick Jonas


 2016-09-09

Bambi Streeter 3My daughter, Madison, just turned 14 years old and on Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, she will celebrate her 13th diaversary. Madison was not quite 13 months old when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). As she arrived via ambulance at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, I was told she was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Over the next several days Madison’s dad and I were told that we would not be taking our precious baby home with us. The doctors believed she would not survive. With the support and continuous prayers from our family and friends, Madison survived and we have called her our miracle ever since.

Over the past 13 years living with T1D, Madison has not let any obstacle get in her way of achieving her goals. When she played soccer in elementary school, it may have taken some extra planning, but we made it work and she rarely sat out because of a low blood glucose (BG). As she got older she participated in dance, choir, hunting, fishing, student council, Girl Scouts, photography, livestock judging and most recently, she’s joined the FFA (Future Farmers of America). She is currently is raising rabbits.

Since Madison wears the Omnipod insulin pump and the Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), she always has equipment that needs to stay near her. She often does not want to let new individuals in these organization know that she may need to use this equipment or treat a low during her activity. However, after many years of me being her advocate for T1D care, now Madison has taken on this role and advocates for her needs. When she started participating in livestock judging she was concerned because they have a strict no cell phone policy during judging. Madison stepped up, along with her agriculture teacher, to inform the judging committee of the fact that she needed to keep her phone nearby because it read her BG via Bluetooth from her Dexcom. They worked together to create a plan of action in case she needed something during the two to three hour long competition.

Madison also participates in our local ADA diabetes camp, Camp Rainbow. This year she was a Counselor in Training (CIT) for the first time. This role not only allowed her to be a T1D mentor to younger campers, but it allowed her to learn from others as well. She was more than just a camper this time. She had the opportunity to ask more questions about insulin delivery, T1D care, what others may go through on a daily basis that is different than what she goes through and how they react to certain situations. She has used the Omnipod since she was 7 years old and before that, she was on shots that only I injected. It was because of this positive camp experience that Madison decided to take a “pump break” shortly after camp. She had never done this before. She took this change seriously and was extremely dedicated to doing the majority of the injections herself.  I can’t explain how proud of her I am.

Madison, along with her family and friends, take part in the JDRF One Walk every fall. Her team name is “Miracles for Madison.” This event is one we fundraise for all year. Walk day, just like her diaversary, is a celebration of strength, courage, the accomplishments that have been reached, the hurdles that have been successfully jumped and the amazing things that are to come.

As Madison celebrates her 13th diaversary on Friday, we will be in attendance at the Nick Jonas concert in Houston.  These tickets were a surprise Christmas gift to her and I can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with her.

Read To The Parents of Children With Type 1 by Samantha Willner.

WRITTEN BY Bambi Wenzel Streeter, POSTED 09/09/16, UPDATED 10/01/22

Bambi is the proud mother of Madison who has been living with type 1 diabetes for 13 years. She is also an avid fundraiser for type 1 diabetes cure research. She lives in Porter, Texas.