For the entire month of September, we are featuring the JDRF Walk to
Cure Diabetes on our T1D Tuesday Blog! We will be interviewing Walk Team
Captains from around the country, who will share their experiences on
how they started their team and how they became successful at
fundraising.

Meet JDRF Walk Team Captain Caoilfhionn of Maddi’s Misbehaving Pancreas!

T1Nation: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Caoilfhionn: My name is Caoilfhionn. (Pronounced Keelin) I am a nurse, and a D-Mom.
 
T1Nation: If you are a member of TypeOneNation.org what is your screename?
Caoilfhionn: JCMH78

T1Nation: Who do you Walk for? When were they diagnosed and at what age?
Caoilfhionn: I walk for my daughter, Madison. She is 16 1/2 now. She was diagnosed January 21, 2006, just weeks after her 9th birthday. Her blood glucose was almost 700. We spent a week at Boston Children’s Hospital.
 
T1Nation: What is your team name? How did you come up with the name?
Caoilfhionn: We are “Maddi’s Misbehaving Pancreas”. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but we got the idea from a fellow D-Mom out in Las Vegas. (Alexis Newell & Justice’s Pancreatic Avengers)

T1Nation: Where is your JDRF Walk location?
We walk in the annual JDRF Walk to Cure in Boston, MA / JDRF New England Chapter

T1Nation: How many years have you participated in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes?
Caoilfhionn: We have been able to attend 4 so far, and have participated in fund raising every year since Maddi’s diagnosis.

T1Nation: To date, how much has your team raised?
Caoilfhionn: Since diagnosis, our team has successfully raised over $5k.

T1Nation: What do you love most about the event?
Caoilfhionn: I love being around other Type 1 families. It’s the only time we aren’t “different”. I love seeing all the support teams get from the community. It’s really heartwarming.

T1Nation: Please share your tips on how others can get involved in joining/fundraising.  What has worked best for you?
Caoilfhionn: We post on Facebook and Twitter. Also creating a poster that you can hang at work helps reach people who may otherwise miss out on the opportunity to support your team!

T1Nation: Anything else you feel that could help others in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes?
Caoilfhionn: You are not alone. For a long time I was afraid to reach out and dealt with our diagnosis alone. Connecting with other families going through what we were going through provided us with not only support, but strength and hope. Don’t be afraid to reach out!
 
Get involved in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes in your community. Visit http://walk.jdrf.org to sign up today!