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Noah's Story:
In May of 2007, Noah was in kindergarten and seemed like any other normal 6 year old little boy. He was very active in school and sports, playing soccer, baseball, basketball, and karate, however, as his parents, we noticed that he became extremely tired when he got home from school everyday. We found that he needed to take long naps right after school and right after activities. There were days when Noah would complain of chest pains, many times while just sitting on the couch. After a few weeks of these symptoms, we grew concerned and took Noah to his physician and expressed our concerns. They told us that maybe he was just in too many activities and with him being in school now, he had a lot going on, which should explain his fatigue. When we expressed concern about his chest pains, they told us that he may have exercise-induced asthma and gave us an inhaler to use before activities.
We tried Noah on the inhaler but the chest pains didn’t seem to come on during activity. I remember one day, my husband was coaching the baseball team and had everyone get up at bat, he said that anytime they hit a ball, he was going to have Noah run the bases. He was bound and determined to prove the doctors wrong! He insisted that Noah did not have exercise-induced asthma and that with him running those bases constantly, it was either going to send him into an asthma attack or he didn’t have it. Sure enough, Noah ran those bases as fast as his little legs could take him, having a great time, and had no asthma attack, nor did he have chest pains. When we got home, he became extremely fatigued. We spoke to his physician again who agreed with us that he did not have asthma, but could not explain a real reason for his fatigue and chest pains. We were put on a "watch and wait" kind of regimen. We were to write on a calendar when he had these chest pain symptoms and to start keeping track of how long he would sleep. This went on for a few months with no real explanation for his symptoms.
In September of 2007, Noah started first grade and was very excited. After a few weeks, however, of first grade, he once again started experiencing the symptoms of extreme fatigue. He would sleep when he came home from school until he had to go to karate classes, he would sleep on the way home from karate, eat dinner, and then would go to bed for the night around 7:30PM and sleep until 7AM the next morning and would still be extremely fatigued. We noticed that he started complaining that he was thirsty all the time and then one night, he started wetting the bed. We first thought that maybe he was just nervous about first grade and that it would subside, however, the bed wetting started getting so bad. He got to the point one night that he was up almost every twenty minutes to go to the bathroom, yet he still wet the bed over and over again that night. I remember him just standing there while I was changing the bed for what seemed like the tenth time that night. He was crying and saying he is just so tired and he doesn’t know why he keeps wetting the bed because he keeps getting up and going too. Finally, the next morning, I called the doctor and explained the situation. I told him that I thought he had something really wrong with him. They told us to come in right away.
By the time we reached the doctor’s office that morning, Noah was so tired, almost lethargic, and saying he was so cold. I brought him in and they weighed him and said he had lost 7 pounds since his last visit in May. Until that moment, I hadn't really noticed it, but I looked at my son and he was, in fact, very, very thin, and so fragile looking. They immediately did a urine test and pricked his finger to check his blood sugar. At that moment, they finally had an answer to his ailments that he had over the past four months. They told us that our son had Type 1 Diabetes. He had a blood sugar over 600 and told us we needed to take him up to Boston to Children’s Hospital immediately because he had diabetic ketoacidosis and needed treatment urgently.
We rushed Noah up to Boston as fast as we could. We felt we couldn’t get him there quick enough. As I looked at my son in the back seat of the car, extremely lethargic at this point, so thin, and so cold, wearing his bright orange winter coat and black knit cap, I was really hoping that this wasn’t what they were saying it was, that there was some kind of mistake, but the puzzle pieces all seemed to fit so well. He was rushed into the emergency room at Children’s and there, they confirmed the diagnosis that we knew would change this boy’s life forever, that he had Type 1 diabetes.
The Diabetes Dude Takes on The Today Show on NBC!
On Thursday, August 26, 2010, The Diabetes Dude, his friends, and flamingos are loading a bus in the middle of the night to travel from Taunton, MA to New York City! The plan is to invade the Today Show with blue flamingos! Noah is hoping that this will make a huge impact on people, putting a face to diabetes and seeing just some of the families that diabetes effects every day. If you live in the New York area and would like to join in this once in a lifetime opportunity, please stop by! Noah and his team of friends should arrive around 5:30 AM and will remain there for the duration of the show (approximately 10 AM). Noah wants to show people that he and his friends may have diabetes, but diabetes does not have them! Check back next week to see updates from the event! You can also follow the journey on Facebook (The Diabetes Dude) and Twitter (thediabetesdude).
The Diabetes Dude would like to thank the following for their ongoing support!
http://blog.brokenpancreas.org/
http://1diseaseworldvoice.org/
http://www.livestream.com/diabetickidz
http://diabeticcandy.com/
http://www.custom3dbands.com/
http://www.myomnipod.com/
The Diabetes Dude takes on Ellen Degeneres!
Noah, The Diabetes Dude, is on a mission! He's already sent Ellen Degeneres one of his flamingos, but he wants to "flock" her on her show so he can talk about his unique diabetes awareness campaign. He's asking that everyone send an e-mail to Ellen and tell her that they want to see The Diabetes Dude on her show! He's hoping that a little persistence will pay off and he can show all the kids (and grown-ups) with diabetes that they can do anything! Write into the Ellen show here: www.ellentv.com, click on "be on the show" and the "dear ellen" link! Thanks for your support!
The Diabetes Dude Flocks Bret Michaels, 07/18/10!
Noah, The Diabetes Dude, and his sister Dana flocked rock star and Celebrity Apprentice Bret Michaels with Darwin, the diabetes flamingo, at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis Massachusetts 07/18/10. Noah was so excited when he found out he was going to meet Mr. Michaels and decided he wanted to flock him with Darwin! Darwin, the diabetes flamingo, was named after a very good friend of the family's superstar (or at least he thinks he is) cat, also named Darwin! Noah, himself, was treated like a rock star when we arrived at the tent! He was so excited to watch the concert and he and Dana had a great time! Mr. Michaels certainly puts on a great concert! There were a lot of people waiting to meet with Mr. Michaels when the concert was over and Noah was quite tired by then as it was way past his bedtime! Mom and dad prepared him that because it was late, he may not necessarily be able to talk with Mr. Michaels but we will do what we can to at least get Darwin to him. There were so many people waiting to see Mr. Michaels but the people in charge made sure everyone knew that "The Dude" was going first! People wanting to see Mr. Michaels were coming to Noah to ask what the flamingo was all about and wanted to touch the flamingo that was going to see Bret Michaels! We got "back stage" and members of the Bret Michaels Band kept coming over saying to Noah, "hey, you're the flamingo Dude! We've heard all about you!" Noah and Dana finally had their moment! They walked up the steps of the tour bus and were greeted by none other that Mr. Bret Michaels himself! Noah was so exhausted at the point that he kind of forgot what he wanted to say to him so Mom had to help him out a bit. He told Bret about his campaign and his goal and gave him some special limited edition Silly Bandz for he and his daughters to help raise awareness. Mr. Michaels and his band were so excited about Noah's campaign! Darwin is now officially on tour with Bret Michaels on the Roses and Thorns World Tour before he heads home with Bret Michaels to stay in his yard! Mr. Michaels is genuinely a very sincere guy. He spent way more time with Noah and Dana than we had ever expected, talking, signing autographs and then Mom and Dad had a few minutes to speak with him alone too. He really is a great guy. Noah was so happy to have met Mr. Michaels and is so excited that he is participating in his campaign and shares his moment of flocking with you below! Please visit Noah's new friend, Bret Michaels, at his site, www.bretmichaels.com for updates, information on what he is doing for diabetes, and about the Roses and Thorns World Tour!
Raising awareness with Silly Bandz!
Recently, the Diabetes Dude went to the Children With Diabetes Friends for Life Conference as a guest of Insulet Corporation, the makers of the OmniPod Insulin Management System! If you attended the CWD, you may have been one of the lucky ones who recieved a special blue flamingo silly bandz that were handed out, not only by the Insulet team, but also by Noah, The Diabetes Dude, and his dad! The flamingo silly bandz were the idea of Insulet to help spread word about Noah's Flamingo Flock diabetes awareness campaign. These fun little bandz have become quite popular in recent months with kids of all ages from all over the country so it was only natural that the most innovative company in insulin pumps would have the hottest item around for kids! Please know that if you are lucky enough to be wearing one of these bandz, it is very special, according to Noah, so wear it with pride. Noah would like to thank Insulet, once again, for helping him spread the word about his campaign!
Look who my flamingos are flocking!
My flamingo flock diabetes awareness campaign has really been taking off! Every week I seem to add another state to my goal! One of this week's flockings is very cool! Duane, the diabetes flamingo, flocked Olympic Skier Kris Freeman in Andover, New Hampshire! Kris sent me this pic of he and Duane Roller Skiing! Besides being an olympian, Mr. Freeman is also a type 1 diabetic and an OmniPod user, just like me! I was so excited to get a picture from him with Duane because I have been such a fan of his and was glued to my TV as I watched him at the Olympics this year in Vancouver! Thanks, Mr. Freeman, for partricipating in my campaign and spreading awareness of diabetes!
The Diabetes Dude is Making News!
The Diabetes Dude is really starting to make a name for himself! Here are some local news stories about his diabetes awareness campaign!
Channel 10, NBC, Providence
Taunton Gazette Article:
http://www.tauntongazette.com/features/x2084261267/The-indomitable-spirit-of-Diabetes-Dude?img=2
Mix 104.1 Radiothon, March of 2010, for Children's Hospital of Boston
The Diabetes Dude donates 22.2 pounds of change he collected over the course of a year for each fingerstick, insulin injection, OmniPod change, and blood draw. Wow! That's a lot of change!
Aviation Fun with The Diabetes Dude
and American Aero Services
Noah took his little brother, Koda, along with him for a little aviation fun at American Aero Services.
American Aero Services owner, Mike Dupont, has been a huge supporter of Noah in all of his diabetes awareness projects and fundraisers. So, we're sure it was no surprise to Mr. Dupont when Noah popped by his hanger to check out some of his planes with one of his flamingos!
Check out the fun below, and be sure to visit American Aero Services' website to read more about Mr. Dupont and his company!
http://www.americanaero.net/