In the spirit of the holiday season, we’d like to share a touching story that was recounted by Diabetes Dad Tom Karlya about a young boy named Jeremy.
After touring The Diabetes Research Institute with his family — including his sister, who has diabetes — 13-year-old Jeremy asked if he could speak with renowned research Dr. Camillo Ricordi in private. Curious, his mother asked him what he would like to discuss with the doctor. His response? He was hoping he could donate his pancreas to his sister for Christmas so that she would not have diabetes anymore.
When his mother told him that even if this were possible, it would mean he would then have diabetes, Jeremy replied, “I don’t care. I just don’t want HER to have it anymore.”
And the story gets better: When Dr. Ricordi heard of this story from Mr. Karlya, he personally reached out to the mother to set up a time he could speak with Jeremy about how they would find a cure for his sister “without having to use his precious pancreas.”
Have a touching diabetes story of your own? Share it below!
This blog entry was written by Web Editor Diane Fennell.
