Letter from ElenaClaire (2003)

Hello! My name is ElenaClaire Lindholtz, and I am writing to you on behalf of my brother Miles.

Miles has Type 1 Diabetes, and was diagnosed a week or so after his second birthday. He is insulin-dependent, which means he receives insulin in the form of many shots per day.
Most people produce this vital chemical naturally, but Miles is not one of those people. If you take yourself, your family members and five friends, then add up all the shots they have had so far and ever will have, Miles has already had that many shots and more.

Thankfully, Miles received an insulin pump to dose him more effectively. Keep in mind though that insulin is not a cure to diabetes, but a medicine to keep Miles alive each day.

All of Miles’ life he has had to be dosed with insulin for any food that he eats, and his tiny fingers get pricked seven to ten times a day so that we may accurately dose him for the food that he eats.

Miles cannot have any babysitters except for myself, his older sister, or another parent of a diabetic, and he cannot attend school without visiting the school nurse constantly during the day. He cannot go to a friend’s house, a birthday party or his cub scout meetings without a parent there.

The long term complications of diabetes include kidney disease, heart attack, blindness, amputation, and other life-threatening diseases. On average, diabetes shortens a person’s life span by fifteen years.

Please help me to find a cure for my little brother to brighten his future. You can do that by sponsoring our “Miles for Miles” Team as we participate in the Walk to Cure Diabetes.
This walk is a wonderful cause and I am proud to play a part. Through all of our gifts, one of these years, we won’t walk to find a cure – we’ll walk to celebrate the cure.