Hi Everyone

[DamienProject]

My name is Mark Skipper and i am here because my 7 year old Daughter Tori has type 1. I am also a musician who writes for Film, Documentary, and Photographic and art projects and use these all as a platform to make people aware of Juvenile Diabetes and it's effects on our Young People...what else is a Dad supposed to do Feel free to give the music a spin to see i try to represent You all the best I can ....It is a pleasure to have been invited to this site and am very proud to be here!!!!
Mark

[Anita]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to our community - hope to see yo around :-)

Anita

[DamienProject]

Thank You for the welcome Anita It is appreciated!!!


Anita wrote:

Hi Mark,

Welcome to our community - hope to see yo around :-)

Anita

[juliedevos]

Hey Mark welcome.

My name is Julie and I have had type one for 16 years now...got it at age 11.

If there is one peice of advice I can give you? When your daughter is old enough send her to a camp for children with T1D. I went to one for a few years and worked at one for 8. The kids that leave our camp are happy and well adjusted kids who accept thier disease. They arent afraid of it and they become advocates on behalf of it. All around it is a fantastic experience! PLus she will get to meet other kids going through the same thing she is...which is extrememly important. There are too many postivies to list...if you want to know more dont hesitate to ask!

I have also met a lot of parents and kids and often have a unique view of things because I have seen many sides to the disease.

Talk to you soon.
Julie

[DamienProject]

Hi julie

Actually we just started looking into the camp thing and Yori has expressed and interst in it but She feels She is not ready to be away from us for that long lol....She says maybe next summer LOL...sounds like Tori is the boss huh

[juliedevos]

Hey Mark!

I cant tell you how much you will be giving to your daughter by sending her to camp. She is right though...if she is truely not ready then to push might not be the best idea. Some kids are good at 8 others can be extremely homesick. If she knows about her diabetes and about how to care for herself camp can be easier just in the fact that she is already helping to care for herself and not heavily relying on mom and dad. Which is a good thing when being sent away on her own.

Having Tori meet other kids like herself is the best thing she can have. I was the only diabetic in my school for years and it wasnt until I went to camp that I met other kids like myself. Now some of my closet and dearest friends are diabetic. We are in this club for life and it gives us a very special bond. I guess we almost function like a support group in an unofficial way in that when ever we see each other there is always diabetes shop talk and its great to be able to talk about it with people other than your medical team. In all honesty they dont really have an idea of what it is like to live with it day in and day out because most are not diabetic. SO having diabetic friends is great and helps me deal with the stress of it all.

Besides all that camp is really fun!! You get to do so many activities all with other diabetic kids and in a safe enviroment. Its just a great time!
Cheers!
Julie