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8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • November 2017 PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING Heidi DiEugenio, President, HD Solutions Duke & Dane's mom MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTORS Julie Brosnan, twins Chris & Finn's mom Megan Walsh, Mia, Noelle, and Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney Joshua & Spencer's mom SOCIAL MEDIA Brenda Sapanghila Archer, Maddox & Oliver's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Leigha Pecher Jake and Luke's mom EDUCATION ELETTER & EVENTS Debra Caffrey Aidan's mom INTERN Haley J Harkin parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA E-MAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, Fred'bg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's standards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are sub- ject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2017 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine According to the National Institutes of Health, 29.1 million people are living with diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, and about 208,000 people younger than 20 years are living with diagnosed diabetes. An autoimmune disease once called juvenile diabetes because it mostly affected children, T1D is now on the rise in United States. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 diabetes is not based on diet or lifestyle, so fitness and nutrition habit changes won't lessen it or make it go away. It's also begun to show up in adults. Last summer, I had the privilege of speaking to a camp of children and teens in town with Type 1 diabetes about writing and writing careers. Despite having to go through life with the challenges of their condition—wearing insulin pumps and monitoring blood sugar—these kids were radiant, brilliant and full of life and dreams. The theme was superheroes and we talked about fun things like books, writing careers and which superheroes had creative jobs (Superman was a writer and Green Lantern—Kyle Rayner—was a graphic designer). We even played a fun game that got a lot of laughs once people figured out how it worked. While Type 1 kids have a seemingly normal existence, there is a darker side of the disease, a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition caused when cells are unable to get the sugar necessary for energy due to a lack of insulin. Every type 1 diabetic lives with this in their rearview mirror and it's a nightmare for parents, some of whom have lost children to this condition. NOVEMBER IS DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH In this issue, our feature (p 16-17) takes a look at what life is like for Annika Natividad, a teenager with Type 1 diabetes. I hope her story helps, inspires and sheds light on this disease. We also explore child saf ety, showing children the value of volunteering, and talking to kids about adoption. As we observe and enjoy Thanksgiving this month, let's not only enjoy our blessings, but find a way to be a blessing to others. Type 1 Diabetes letter to the readers