Diabetes Poem for the Holidays

‘Twas the first night of Chanukah, when all through our home

My wife and kids were sleeping, but the halls I did roam;

The menorah was burning, candles lit with great care,

But blood sugars were soaring, so sleep I don’t dare;

 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of latkes, candles and dreidels danced in their heads;

They’re sleeping safely, I hope with all of my might!

But Diabetes can strike in the deep of the night.

 

Then from one of the bedrooms there arose such a clatter,

I sprang down the hall to see what was the matter.

To the kid’s room I flew like a flash,

Tore open the door with my heart beating fast.

 

I found my son sitting there on his bed

Sweaty, and thirsty, with pains in his head.

When, what my wondering eyes should gaze,

A glucometer with the highest reading in days!

 

It’s time for some insulin…another needle stick;

I knew at that moment he could be very sick!

An hour later his blood sugar falls,

 

And again, through the night, “Daddy!!!!” he calls;

He’s Low! He’s High! More insulin please!

He’s peeing! He’s puking! He’s weak in the knees!

More sugar! More insulin! More needles for sure!

Now Please! Please! Please find a cure!”

 

And then, in a twinkling, he falls back to sleep

So soundly he lays there, not making a peep.

As I sit there watching his chest rise and fall,

My other son comes walking straight down the hall.

 

Dressed in his PJ’s, with slippers, and a teddy,

In his hand a phone…to call 911 he was ready;

I hugged and thanked him, and sent him to bed.

He said he was scared to some night find his bro dead.

 

His eyes, they looked worried! His lip quivering so!

Could he too get diabetes? We just don’t know!

I told him that for all of the kids we are working,

A cure is what we need and in some lab it is lurking;

While needles, pumps and monitors may do the trick,

They are just Band-Aids…these kids are still sick

 

So we’ll walk at the Walks, and dance at the Galas,

And we’ll Ride thousands of miles

Until a Cure brings us smiles!

 

By thousands, or hundreds, or just dribs and drabs,

We’ll raise tons of money to fund the doctors and labs;

We’ll fight for the cure and we’ll never stop trying,

So that night time is safe, and my son can stop crying,

So that we all can exclaim, when we win this fight,

 

“Happy Holidays to all, and may you sleep safe through the night!”

 

by Scott Kasper December 2011

Not Finished…Thoughts from Scott Kasper

In each of the last several weeks, we have been sharing the profiles of our Hope on 2 Wheels team members with you. Today, something completely different. Scott Kasper, whose official profile will be shared over the coming weeks, is the father of three sons, two of whom have Type 1 Diabetes. Scott is one of the Founders of Hope on 2 Wheels, along with his friend and riding companion Mike Chadwick, a Type 1 Diabetic since the age of 6. We got a hold of a recent email sent by Scott and wanted to share that with you.

“I just wanted to let you know about my latest hair-brained idea…if you choose to follow my lead, great…if not, that’s equally great…everyone does this for different reasons and with different goals…that’s one of the things that makes the Ride to Cure so awesome! Anyway, I know that I can complete a century ride, so I’m not doing the VT Ride to Cure for the personal challenge of completing the ride. There are, however, two reasons that I’m doing it. As a JDRF Coach, I am honored to be doing the ride to assist others in meeting their goals and to make the ride a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone! On a more personal level, I am doing the Ride to make the statement that we need to continue to endure, to adapt, and to overcome the challenges of life with T1D until a cure becomes a reality.

This photograph captures one of the proudest moments of my life. It was taken just after my wife Rachel and I pedaled across the Finish Line at the 2011 Ride to Cure in Lake Tahoe. Recently, the thought occurred to me that the banner over my head should really read “Not Finished“. That’s what spurred the following thought.

The 2012 JDRF Ride to Cure season will be one leg of a more epic journey that will not end upon the completion of the Ride in Burlington or even Tucson at the end of the season. I truly hope that the journey will be shorter rather than longer, but as it currently stands, it will be a journey that continues long after this Ride to Cure season ends.

Therefore, when I approach the Finish Line in Burlington (and any other JDRF ride that I may end up doing), I plan to dismount from my bicycle and walk around the banner rather than ride beneath it. I will ultimately pedal across the finish line when we are indeed finished…when we have a cure. Until that time, I’ll keep the finish line in close site so that I am motivated to ride the next ride. Soon, hopefully, I’ll cross the finish line on our Ride to Celebrate, which we will FINISH after the cure becomes a reality.

These thoughts and sentiments exemplify why Hope on 2 Wheels will be rolling from New York City to Washington DC on June 23. We won’t stop there. We’ll keep on rolling with the HOPE that prevention of T1D, innovation in treatment and therapy, and ultimately the cure may be right around the next corner…until then, we’ll keep on pedaling!

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Do you need a new cycling jersey or shorts for the 2012 riding season? You’ll look great in the Hope on 2 Wheels riding kit, and now you can order one and make a donation to JDRF all at the same time, as a portion of each sale will be donated to JDRF!! Order yours today at http://hopeon2wheels.zaavy.com and enter the password “hope” when prompted

Cyclist Profile: Mike Clark

We are thrilled to have Mike Clark as a member of the Hope on 2 Wheels Team. Mike is one of two National Head Coaches for the JDRF Ride to Cure, and an all around great guy! Get to know Mike, the self proclaimed Banjo playing bike rider from Michigan, through his answers below:

1. Tell about your connection to T1D (this can be as detailed as you want).

At Coach meetings I used to say that I “have no direct connection” to Type 1. It’s true that my family hasn’t been touched – I actually don’t have a single relative w/ T1D – but for the last 5 years or so I’ve come to treasure the vast number of dear friends and team mates I’ve been lucky enough to meet and ride with via JDRF. They are my connection. 

2. Tell about your cycling background and experiences (i.e. how many JDRF rides have you done, any competition highlights, etc)

Good Lord……I’ve ridden pretty much non-stop since my 9^th grade Sunday School teacher (and Fuji importer) sold me a bike in a box. I’ve been in the bike biz for 31 years. I’ve raced pretty much every kind of race there is, ‘cept track stuff. Road races, crits, cross-country mountain bike stuff, 100 mile mountain bike stuff, 12 & 24 hour mountain bike races, lots of cyclo-cross and now some fat bike events. I was the Michigan State 50+ ‘cross champ in ’09, on the podium in the tandem class for the Barry-Roubaix (a huge local dirt-road race) in ‘10 and ’11, and I’m usually Top 5 (or so) in the local season-long points competition for the training race series in Grand Rapids. I’ve done some guiding for touring companies in Moab and toured across Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest. I ride about 10-12k miles a year these days – mostly leading shop and team rides. A fellow JDRF team mate and I have a 31 month string of at least 1 century a month going.

I believe the term you’re looking for is “Jack of All Trades, Master of None!”

I’m also kinda on a mission to disprove the theory that someone that’s run a bike shop for as long as I have doesn’t have the time or desire to ride!

As for JDRF – I’ve been the coach of the West Mi Team since it’s inception in ’05. They made me Co-National Head Coach in the spring of 2010 (although my perception of that is that I’m Tim’s back-up, not equal) and I’ve been in charge of the Bike Room since 2008. I’ve attended about 28 Rides and ridden…I dunno….22? 23?

My main claim to fame as a cyclist is that I can play the banjo while riding rollers.

3. What bike will you be riding (brand, model, etc) on the Hope ride?

Well – that’s months away so who knows? Most likely is my custom ti Seven Axiom (assuming I convert it back to a geared bike. It’s been a fixie for the past 2 seasons). Otherwise the Cannondale CAAD 9 I used for the Rides last year. (Or some sweet demo I get hooked up with ‘tween now and then)

4. What was your favorite bike ride ever?

Jeez…….that’s like picking your favorite kiss! Standouts include the “sandstorm year” in DV (2007?), my unsupported ride of the Kokopelli Trail from Moab to Fruita Co (to celebrate my 50^th B-Day), riding the “Ronde Van Vaanderen” (the Sportif version of the Tour of Flanders) in Belgium last April (with 19750 other riders!!!) or pretty much any ride w/ good friends. (Geez that sounds corny…True though!!)

5. What’s the one message you want the world to know about you and your efforts related to T1D?

We are going to ride until Type 1 is history. It’s an honor to ride alongside such a passionate and committed group of people. I consider myself VERY blessed to have stumbled across JDRF.

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Do you need a new cycling jersey or shorts for the 2012 riding season? You’ll look great in the Hope on 2 Wheels riding kit, and now you can order one and make a donation to JDRF all at the same time, as a portion of each sale will be donated to JDRF!! Order yours today at http://hopeon2wheels.zaavy.com and enter the password “hope” when prompted

Cyclist Profile: Andrew Chadwick

Andrew Chadwick is a Hope on 2 Wheels rider with a special connection. His brother, Mike Chadwick, is one of the co-founders of the ride!! When you read what Andrew has to say, you’ll understand why we ride!

1. My connection to T1D is my brother, Mike. He was diagnosed when I was 2, so I don’t remember Diabetes not being part of my life.

2. My cycling background comes from my other brother, David – he was a competitive rider through his college years. I rode my bike like any normal kid, and then didn’t ride again until about 2-3 years ago, when I built up a fixed gear and started commuting to work.

3. For Hope On 2 Wheels, I’ll be riding a custom-built frame by Michael Brown/Maestro Frameworks. It actually hasn’t been built yet, but should be ready long before the ride. It’s a sport-tourer, lightly based on the Surly LHT and the Velo-Orange Rando. I’ll be building it up myself with my favorite parts.

4. My favorite ride ever would have to be either – When I did the entire length of the C&O Canal Towpath, over 3 days, at age 12. I rode it with 2 of my friends and one of their dads. The other candidate for best ride would be last year’s El Tour de Tucson for the JDRF. That was my first century, I got to ride it with my brother, and we had an absolute blast.

5. My message? I think the best I can come up with is that we can’t wait for anyone else to step up and try to make a cure happen. If we want to find it, we’ve got to fund it.

Do you need a new cycling jersey or shorts for the 2012 riding season? You’ll look great in the Hope on 2 Wheels riding kit, and now you can order one and make a donation to JDRF all at the same time, as a portion of each sale will be donated to JDRF!! Order yours today at http://hopeon2wheels.zaavy.com and enter the password “hope” when prompted

Cyclist Profile: Josh Stahl

As you read his post you’ll see that Josh Stahl, who comes to Hope on 2 Wheels from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, may be a man of few words. What’s more accurate, though, is that the few words he has chosen send a powerful message about why he rides!

1. Tell about your connection to T1D: I am the father to a 4 year old Type 1 Diabetic. His name is Gavin and he is the bravest little man with the way he handles this disease.

2. Tell about your cycling background and experiences (i.e. how many JDRF rides have you done, any competition highlights, etc): I have completed 1 Ride to Cure diabetes in Lake Tahoe (Sep, 2011). In this ride I was awarded the prestigious JDRF Spirit jersey (Polka Dot) which goes to the Rider who most exemplifies what the ride is all about.

3. What bike will you be riding on the Hope ride? 2011 Cannondale Synapse 5 Road Bike

4. What was your favorite bike ride ever? Lake Tahoe 2011, that is until we partake in the first Hope on 2 Wheels ride in June of 2012.

5. What’s the one message you want the world to know about you and your efforts related to T1D? I will not stop riding until the day I ride because we have found a cure.

Gavin cannot take a break from diabetes so I will not take a break either.

Thanks Josh!! Good luck in your Ride!!

Do you need a new cycling jersey or shorts for the 2012 riding season? You’ll look great in the Hope on 2 Wheels riding kit, and now you can order one and make a donation to JDRF all at the same time, as a portion of each sale will be donated to JDRF!! Order yours today at http://hopeon2wheels.zaavy.com and enter the password “hope” when prompted.