On November 17th, JDRF hosted the 39th annual Promise Ball at Cipriani Wall Street. True to the promise I made last year, I allowed Talia, now age four to attend her first gala. She was so proud to be a part of the night and took great care in putting on her pearls and polished shoes. Sam's best accessory is always his smile whether in a tuxedo or a peanut butter covered T-shirt, but both kids looked adorable and it was a very special night.
After a stellar performance by the cast from Jersey Boys there was a program honoring Bob Obernier, a long-time supporter of JDRF. I was both moved and disheartened listening to testimonials from his family and other affected families that were interviewed for this presentation - people whose children are now in their twenties -- and still working (and waiting) for a cure. It made me wonder if there is a post about the 59th Annual Promise Ball in my future and pray that the answer is no.
During dinner, JDRF unveiled a new eight minute video (link below)by Bird's Nest Productions that Sam and I participated in last year. The room was quiet and when the screen came to life the video opened with "my name is Sam Dickinson. I am from Brooklyn, NY and I have diabetes." The first image in the film is of Sam sitting in his room in a Scooby-Doo T-shirt with a Mr. Potato head poster in the background. He is confident and matter-of-fact. A small child, but wise beyond his years. I had to choke back tears as the video went on showing clips of Sam scaling a rock wall on his fifth birthday and playing in the surf on Nantucket. You can also see Jon holding Sam as he changes his pod and does the dreaded "snap" when the cannula enters his skin. At one point, he explains that his "pancreas cannot create insulin."
The kids chased trays of hors d'oeuvres, danced to the band and ran around the beautifully decorated space. Finally, Sam and six other children with Type 1 Diabetes also participated in the fund-a-cure live auction and raised $496K for the artificial pancreas. You can see him with Ron Darling, the former Major League Baseball player and auction MC below. Ron Darling's foundation actively supports research toward a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. As always, we were impressed by the dedicated staff of JDRF and grateful for the generous support of everyone in the room. |
| Sam and Ron Darling during Fund-a-Cure |
Click here to view the video http://www.youtube.com/embed/ETwiV-7-nag
