Hey guys I just got back from the American Diabetes Association’s Triangle D Camp! I had so much and made a bunch of new friends that will stick with me for a life time! For the 7 days I was there, I learned so much more than I expected. I thought I knew about everything about diabetes, but nope! I learned about different types of insulin and what they are used for and what they do, such as long acting insulin, humalog, novolog, and few others in Diabetes Ed. We played a bunch of new games such as mission impossible, CoCo Chaos, trivial pursuit, and capture the flag-where we used colored face paint to determine what team we were on. Another great part of camp was the food! There were so many varieties of different food choices at every meal, including all of the carb counts, and so many snacks you won't be hungry. I even got the cabin with the showers in it too! There were high ropes where you could go zip lining and do the multi vine, which I went on three times it was so much fun. You could even go blobbing where there is a floatable thing in the lake and you jump on and you go flying into the water. The first year I went on it my pump fell off into the water and probably is still there! I went canoeing with some of my friends and it was so windy we had to raise our paddles so someone would come and pull us back! It was really funny! Be sure to like www.facebook.com/kidswithdiabeteschicago to check out some of the photos from the week!

       School softball started for me already so we are practicing every day and having games. We are pretty good this year. School for me starts this Wednesday so I'm going last minute school shopping!

Evey

Hey guys! I just had a very busy week! I had my softball World Series in Kentucky and it was so hot down there. We were doing pretty well, but unfortunately we are done in the tournament. It was a great experience! We stayed in a hotel and I met two new softball players who were staying there too. They both have diabetes as well. I thought it was super cool seeing more girls with Type 1 diabetes playing a travel sport.  We talked about softball and the different types of pumps we have. We compared and contrasted them and talked about what it is like playing sports with our "equipment" on.

I also went to the Louisville Slugger museum, where they make all the baseball bats. I took a tour and saw how they were made and saw a bunch of Major League Baseball players old baseball bats that were used in games, players like Jackie Robinson. Did you know he had diabetes too? Yes he did! But he didn't let that stop him from playing in the MLB. This shows that it doesn't matter who you are or how old you are, what matters is that you have the courage to not let diabetes stop you. Anything is possible when you work hard.

I am now heading up to Triangle D Camp! I am packed and ready to have a great time! I am so excited to make new friends that have diabetes as well. The American Diabetes Association does a great job and I love every minute of camp. I will keep you guys updated after camp and tell you guys everything I did. Maybe next year the people who didn’t get to camp this summer will get to go next year. It's a great opportunity to see more people your age who are also facing the same challenges as you. You won't feel so alone; it will make you feel like a normal kid again.

I can’t wait to tell you guys about all the fun I have at Triangle D Camp!

-Evey 

Hello everyone! Sorry I couldn't make it to Tour De Cure, I was sick in the hospital. It was my first time going back in five years which, to me, is pretty good. My blood sugar was really elevated, I had ketones, and I was super dehydrated. It happens to all of us, and it really stinks. But at least we caught it in time before I got too bad. Luckily I was able to stay at a local hospital by me, rather than having to go to the pediatric hospital. We have such a great staff of doctors and nurses that take care of my family and I. 

Since I couldn’t ride, my dad was able to go in my place and explore the site. He even face-timed me as he was riding! It looked like so much fun and the weather finally cooperated to make the ride a success. I can't wait to ride and participate again next year! We were able to get so many great fundraising ideas, corporate sponsors, and matching donations for next year- it will be exciting!

For the past two weeks, I have been visiting the American Diabetes Association day camps for 4-9 year olds. I got to pass out tattoos of knights and dragons for their “Kids of the Round Table” theme and go around and talk with the campers. Since I was diagnosed when I was eight going on nine, I never went to the day camps. I have only attended the overnight camps, so it was a great to see what they are like. Each camp goes along the same guidelines, but feels completely different. The first camp, Camp Discovery in Glen Ellyn, was at a fitness facility where we were able to go to different rooms, even one with an indoor pool! So regardless of the weather, we were always able to swim. The next camp was Camp Confidence in Des Planes, it was a fun outdoor experience at a historic campground.

I was so happy to see so many little kids go to camp and learn more. I loved how even their siblings got to go with them as well.  It was so neat to see some of the kids give themselves a shot for the first time- what an accomplishment! On Friday, there was an Exhibit Fair with a ton of stations that gave you information about diabetes and their "gadgets", as I like to call them. There was a magic show that was incredibly funny. The staff dressed up to go along with the theme, which was pretty neat. I love the games and activities we played, it feels just like a regular camp!

I'm basically on the edge of my seat for my time at Triangle D camp! I'm so excited to see old friends and connect with other people with diabetes. At some of these camps, I see some old friends that are helping out, being a counselor-in-training, as well as counselors!  I am looking forward to becoming a counselor in the next couples years! 

I'll keep you posted on the rest of the Association day camps that I attend, my time at Triangle D camp and the rest of my summer months! 

-Evey

Hey guys!

I'm super excited for the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure on Sunday! I will be stopping on mile marker five to hang out at the Camp Hydration Station.  I got a new bike helmet for the ride and I can't wait to try it out!

I also got my Dexcom this week. The one I received is pink and we are in the process of hooking up the blood sugar high and lows to my parents phones. Now we will be able to know where my blood sugar is at all times. I haven't tried it out yet, but I'm almost positive it's going to make it so much easier to manage my glucose levels. 

School is out and I am doing a whole bunch of fun sport summer camps. I just finished a basketball camp, and I am in the middle of doing a swim fitness class. Next week is volleyball camp, plus I have a whole bunch of softball tournaments lined up.

I am going to be at some of the American Diabetes Association Camps for a day or so to say hi and hang out! This will be my fourth year participating in the Association Camp Program; my favorite part is the blob, seeing other kids with diabetes and getting to hang out with them!

I'll be sure to post that info soon! Hope to see you guys at the Tour de Dure on Sunday!

-Evey 

Hey, I'm back! I am super pumped for the bike race! I have raised $1029 so far! That is amazing! I am super grateful for all those generous donations. I was able to get my school involved as well by arranging a jeans day for the teachers.  So, for all the teachers that wanted to wear jeans that day, they had to pay $5 or more to be enable to have that privilege. All in that day, thanks to all of the teachers, I was able to raise $576. I would like to say a big thank you to all of the teachers in my school district, as well as the Bimba Company, who have donated $200, and my other donating friends and family. Your donations are extremely helpful, every penny brings us closer to finding a cure for type one diabetes. There will always be that spark of hope that no one can touch, that fire will not be extinguished. I am so excited for the bike race and can’t wait to see how many people are going to attend and help make a difference. If you have any questions do not be afraid to ask me online or at the race! I promise I don’t bite! As exciting as that was I have even more exciting news, I am currently giving the Dexcom a try for a week. As first I was a little nervous, but hey why not give it a try. So far I love it, it really helps me manage my blood sugar so much better. Technology is a wonderful thing. With all this technology, help from doctors, and support from friends and family will make me unstoppable at what I want to become in life or in my future years. And you can feel the same way. All it takes is confidence (and a little bit of technology) and you will be untouchable and I promise you will reach your fullest potential in life. 

Here is the link to my personal page for the Tour de Cure! Please join us!
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TourAdmin?px=8384021&pg=personal&fr_id=10179

Hey Everyone!  I had so much fun at the American Diabetes Association's 2015 EXPO event! I met a lot of new people and talked to many different Camp families. Sharing stories and experiences with each and every one of you was very meaningful and I am glad  to have had the opportunity to do so!  I was able to give a small speech of how thrilled I am with the great endeavors I experience as the American Diabetes Association 2015 Illinois Youth Ambassador.  It was great to see what else I am able to do and accomplish for the American Diabetes Association in the future.  In the Family Fun Zone, at the EXPO event, I was able to adopt a stuffed animal, name it (I chose my best friend’s name), and teach it all about diabetes. I went through the steps I had to go through when I was diagnosed. I saw a bunch of kids running around while having a fun time in the exercise section.

 At the Family Fun Zone there was also information about Camp... I LOVE CAMP! This is one of the best places a kid with diabetes could ever go. The experiences, counselors, new friends, activities, and without even realizing it, the learning is a great way for kids to learn about themselves and diabetes care. I will be going to Camp Triangle D this summer for the 4^th time. I have so much fun going and I think that all kids with diabetes should attend a Camp at least once.  They would be able to experience Camp and see other kids their age that have diabetes and how they manage it, while having fun at the same time! It’s a wonderful learning experience. One of my favorite parts about going to Camp is meeting new friends and of course, "the blob” , a huge inflatable that’s in the water that we can jump on and get thrown off. How can you not love that? 

The next event I'll be at is the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure event.  I hope you can come to this and hopefully join my team! My team’s name is “Evey's Starting Lineup”. It's amazingly easy to get registered, and there are many different distances you can choose from. I'm doing a 10 mile ride, but there are options for you to ride 100 miles! Super impressive! I can’t wait to see you there at the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure event on June 14^th, 2015. 

Join me at the ADA Expo and Tour!

Hey everyone! As i was thinking about what to write about, the only thing I had written down was, "I get up, go to school, go to sports, eat, go to bed, and change my pump every 3 days". I couldn't think of anything else! But isn't that what we all want? Just a 'normal', everyday routine like everyone else? I don't like the extra attention or people fussing over me. I want to keep my diabetes in control so that I can do everything I want to do. Things like all my activities and sports without having to sit out, go to the office at school, or do a whole bunch of extra steps. Somewhere to do all these fun activities is the upcoming American Diabetes Association EXPO event!

So, the American Diabetes Association's EXPO event is THIS Saturday, April 18th! I am going to be there and I can't wait to hang out and visit with everyone! I'm looking forward to meeting, talking, and getting to know you all. I'm also looking forward to all of the people who are excited about the ADA Tour de Cure event just as much as myself! I am signed up and starting my own team, so I would love to have as many people join my National Camp Tour Team to do this ride with me! The name of my team is "Evey's Starting Line Up" and you can sign up at my team website! I am hoping for a lot of people to come and support a cure for diabetes and ride along with me. I will be going with some of my family members and a friend. 

I will also be speaking at the EXPO at 11am in the Family Fun Zone this weekend, which I am excited for! I hope to see you all there!