There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings. ~Hodding Carter, Jr.
Corinne and I have been pretty inseparable since her diagnosis but even great partners sometimes need to branch out and try a solo flight. It wasn’t easy to push her out of the nest but she needed to see that she would not come crashing to the ground without me. She needed the chance to fly.
This weekend, Corinne went to Diabetes DESTINY camp in North East, MD. Attending diabetes camp is an awesome opportunity for kids with type 1 diabetes to socialize and hang out with other kids who completely understand the challenges and struggles they face. It is a chance for them to form friendships, to gain confidence, to discover their independence and to just enjoy being a kid.
Diabetes DESTINY Camp is a very special extreme sport weekend camp held at North Bay Adventure Camp. The mission of the camp is to provide people with diabetes the opportunity to maximize their ability to perform at their highest level in all areas of sports, fitness and life activities while maintaining intensive glucose control. They strive to empower each participant with an attitude that “yes we can do anything we want with Diabetes”!”
Corinne is truly a thrill seeker who loves rollercoasters and is always up for a challenge. An extreme weekend with the promise of a zip line, is right up her alley. Still, she was nervous about going away to camp for the first time. It is one thing to worry that you will be homesick but quite another to carry with you the fear of being away from the people you trust to help you manage a chronic health condition like diabetes. She knew the camp was staffed by highly trained endocrinologists, nurses and counselors who have T1d,…BUT they were all strangers. It was hard for our daughter to imagine going through a hypoglycemic incident with anyone other than her diabetes circle of trust.
When we arrived at camp on Friday evening, Corinne quickly made friends with her bunk mates and counselors. She checked out their insulin pumps and told them all about her diabetic alert dog, Sugar. After touring the camp and helping get her bunk set up, I headed on my way praying for her to have an unforgettable weekend and stable blood sugars. The only tears shed were mine.
Thirty minutes into my ride home, I got a call and she was scared. She was afraid to dose for dinner without me and afraid of going low in the presence of strangers. We talked through it and the amazing counselors and staff encouraged and supported her. She made it through the first night-a HUGE accomplishment!
Saturday I received a picture on my phone accompanied by the words…
look what I just did!
Throughout the day, the pictures kept coming.
She not only left the nest…
Our brave daughter was SOARING!
Her weekend was filled with extreme challenges and motivational speeches from world-class athletes who also have type 1 diabetes. She became buddies with Jen Alexander a marathon swimmer who after swimming 19 hours and 17 minutes, became the first person to swim a double-crossing of Canada’s Northumberland Strait. She also spoke with Bill Carlson who was the world’s first person with type 1 diabetes to cross the finish line in the Ironman World Championship. Surrounded by marathoners and star athletes, she was inspired and empowered to face her own personal challenges.
Today when I picked Corinne up from camp, she excitedly recounted stories of her weekend experiences and proudly showed me the obstacle course and giant swing that went out over the Chesapeake Bay. She was eager get home to see Sugar and text her new-found friends who understood the highs and lows of diabetes much more intimately than I ever could.
As we pulled into the garage, I told her just how proud of her I was for having the courage to spread her wings. I said “You did it…you flew out on your own” and she smiled and said “it was so much fun but I was ready to fly back home Mommy.”
And truthfully, I am relieved to have her back under my wing…until next year comes around.
Here is a video from a previous year.
t1dhopeisgood 