-----Every 40 seconds someone in America is diagnosed with diabetes -----Diabetes reduces average life expectancy by up to 30% -----Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death by disease -----Diabetes contributes to the deaths of over 179,000 Americans every year. -----Diabetes is the number one cause of new blindness -----Diabetes is a major cause of kidney failure, nerve damage and amputations -----Diabetes does not always run in the family

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Steven's Dream is a team of family members, old friends and new friends all working together for the common cause of finding a cure for diabetes. On April 19, 1998 our then 16 1/2 month old son, Steven was diagnosed with Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes.  Steven had been sick and was not getting better--only worse as the time passed.  He was back and forth to the doctors many times within a week.  He was very tired, very thirsty and loosing weight.  Steven didn't want to play anymore, only sleep.  We brought him to the Morristown Memorial Hospital--he was dehydrated and in 4 1/2 hours they informed us he also has diabetes.  We were devastated!!!! We spent almost a whole week at the hospital learning everything needed to keep our beautiful baby alive for the rest of his life.

Children with Diabetes website

Plastic Diabetes Tags for shoes

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Steven is now  6 1/2 years old and doing very well. He has his blood checked 10-12 times per day--that's over 14,000 blood glucose tests and over 2400 insulin injections in 5 years. Before Steven had Diabetes I would just think, "Oh, you have diabetes, just take a shot of insulin". DIABETES IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT!!! A Diabetic  must eat at specific times of the day--measuring and counting everything that they need to eat---and have snacks and many other medical supplies with them ALWAYS.  If a person does not have diabetes they have a choice of how much they will eat & when to eat.  Someone with diabetes does not have that choice---they MUST eat everything that has been measured or risk having low blood sugars, possible seizures and diabetic coma. Steven  has had 4 minor seizures--very scary for us and him. Steven is now using an insulin pump.  The pump has been programmed to give him specific amounts of insulin at different times during the day.  When he eats food someone needs to calculate how much was eaten and figure out the correct amount of additional insulin to tell the machine to give him.  Even the insulin pump has problem--a simple little thing like a static shock can delete everything programmed into the pump.  There is a whole new set of possible problems with using the pump.  The pump is just another form of treatment---it is not a cure!

Insulin-dependent diabetes, most frequent in children and young adults, is characterized by sudden appearance of:

**Frequent Urination **Nausea and Vomiting **Obvious weakness and fatigue **Abnormal thirst

**Rapid weight loss **Excessive hunger **Irritability

Insulin is not a cure--it is a life preserving necessity!!

Try some of our favorite sites above to help you in your quest for knowledge about diabetes.

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