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January 2020

Family photo of Dunlap family

The Road to a Type 1 Diagnosis

By Central Ohio Diabetes Association, Featured News, It Takes a Family

When Logan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in January 2018 at the age of six, it kind of felt like “what else is going to happen to us?!” My husband Andrew, who is also Type 1 diabetic, had been involved in a farm accident in December 2014 and lost his left leg. We had been facing one uphill battle after another with his recovery, including 2 battles with MRSA. At the time of Andrew’s accident, we had Logan, who was three, and his sister, Addison, who was just 4-months old. I worked full-time and I was thrust into the role of a full-time caregiver along with the role of wife and mother. Now, just as we felt like we were turning a corner, Andrew just knew something wasn’t right.

So, we traveled that heart-crushing road of tests and diagnosis. We went to the lab for blood work where we had to hold Logan down while he screamed because he was so scared. We spent the night in the hospital and explained to him that he was going to take shots like Daddy did.

Don’t get me wrong, I am eternally grateful that we had as much knowledge as we did about this disease and that Logan has his “role model” of a dad to see that he can do this. But it felt like life was kicking us when we were down. Especially when Logan says, “I don’t want to be diabetic anymore.” I mean, insert the dagger right in Mommy’s heart!

But rather than let this journey of life break me down and define me, I chose to let it empower me. I was not going to allow myself, and my family, to be victims. I chose that these experiences in life, as challenging and mind-blowing as they were, gave me the gift of being a caregiver. And the gift to support and empower other parents and caregivers who are experiencing all of these frightening unknowns and don’t know how to manage it all.

Fast forward to 2020: Logan is eight, he played football for the first time last fall and is just getting started on his Omnipod pump! Andrew has been back to work on the farm. Addison is five and will make a fabulous nurse or doctor some day with all the medical stuff she has seen! And I am driven to empower and educate with our story and my message. No matter how unfair or awful it may seem, let your story empower you.

About

This blog post is PART ONE of IT TAKES A FAMILY: LIFE WITH TYPE 1, written by Lindsay Dunlap.

The Dunlap family lives with two generations of T1D, and Lindsay is graciously sharing their experience with us. If you’d like to connect with Lindsay, she’d be happy to talk about the highs and lows with you at lindsay@lindsaydunlapcoaching.com.

Learn More

Click here to learn more about the Central Ohio Diabetes Association, including support for families through programs such as Camp Hamwi.

Our Corporate Adopt-a-Route Partners

By Meals-on-Wheels, Volunteers
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View of water damage on ceiling

Army widow’s roof repair a ‘blessing’ thanks to LifeCare Alliance, MOWA, Team Depot

By Featured News, Home Repairs

Ms. Marcum is a 95-year-old widow of a U.S. 2nd Battalion Army Ranger veteran who served from 1944-1946. When she needed help with a leaky roof that posed a safety challenge in her mobile home, she turned to LifeCare Alliance.

With the help of Team Depot and Meals on Wheels America, LifeCare Alliance made the roof repair so Ms. Marcum could navigate her home safely.

“I have been a widow for over 40 years now and it’s been a challenge when it comes to repairs to my mobile home,” Ms. Marcum said. “My roof has been leaking for about 4 years but has been getting worse over the years.  I had been asking everyone about getting my roof fixed but no one would do any work on mobile homes… I surely didn’t have the money to pay someone to fix it.”

After receiving a flier about LifeCare Alliance’s partnership with Team Depot and Meals on Wheels America on the Helping Homebound Heroes program, she called for help.

“I couldn’t believe it when you guys said you could fix it for me,” she said. “Not only fix it for me but I didn’t have to pay any money for it. That was a blessing for me.”

Ms. Marcum was grateful for the assistance.

“I just want to thank you, Home Depot and the great contractors from America’s Choice Construction. They were wonderful for all you done for me.”

Before:

After:

“I don’t know what I would have done without you guys because the roof was getting worse by the day. By you doing this work it has truly calmed my nerves and you know that I’m 95 years old and it was getting hard on me.”

-Ms. Marcum, on her experience with the Helping Homebound Heroes campaign