Joshua's Story

It took just one Monday morning to drastically redefine “normal” for Joshua and his family. In 2008, Joshua went with his little brother to a doctor appointment so his parents could ask the pediatrician some questions about some changes they noticed in him. He was overeating, yet always so hungry, and he had lost a lot of weight. He always seemed to be thirsty, took a lot of bathroom breaks and had complained of feeling dizzy a few times.

“Just one finger poke so we can get a blood sample,” his parents told him. But then his pediatrician walked into the room, sat down on a chair, and with tears she was clearly trying to contain said, “Our little Joshua has Juvenile Diabetes.” Just one finger poke turned into approximately 2,900 finger pokes and about 1,500 insulin shots just in the first year.

Now in high school, Joshua plays basketball, and he’s a great student. And as true as it is when his parents say he can do everything other kids his age can do, it does not come easy. “It’s a scary disease when you know the facts. It’s even scarier, I imagine, when you don’t,” his parents said. “Thanks to JDRF and all of their efforts, we are able to stay connected to a community that provides needed information, support and HOPE that one day we will have a cure.”