I just realized that when I announced that I was participating with Handmade with Purpose, that I didn't share the cause that I'll be donating to- oy! :)
Squirmy Worm Studio will be donating 20% of April's profits to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)!
Not sure what JDRF is, or who they support? Well, directly from their website, Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly, and can be fatal. Until a cure is found, people with type 1 diabetes have to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin injections multiple times or use a pump - each day, every day of their lives. And even with that intensive care, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its potential complications, which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation. To help improve the lives of people with type 1 diabetes while working toward a cure, one of JDRF's research goals is to support research to develop products that can dramatically improve blood glucose control in people with type 1 diabetes so they can live healthier lives with less risk of developing disease-related complications.
JDRF is near and dear to my heart, as I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (also known as juvenile diabetes) at the age of 5. I was a normal kid that enjoyed to play, swim, but didn't eat sugar! Side note- every year when Halloween rolled around, my sweet momma would trade my bag full of sugary goodness for something that was diabetic friendly (six-pack of diet coke, board game, etc.). :) Behind the scenes, I had to partake in more maintenance work (aka blood sugar tests, and insulin shots 3 times a day) than my other friends at school, but that was the norm for me. Towards the end of college I switched from insulin shots to an insulin pump, which releases small amounts of rapid-acting insulin to keep blood glucose levels steady between meals and during sleep. With that, my story is still being written. Have you been affected by type 1 diabetes, or know of someone that has?
Please help us give back by:
-buying handmade goods from participating shops
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