Last year we decided to make every April 6 a special day. I had someone ask me earlier today “why are you celebrating your child being sick”. First of all I don’t think of her as sick and she certainly doesn’t see herself that way. Second, we look at it as a day of celebrating HOW Nikki LIVES with her diabetes. We are celebrating the blessings, opportunities, obstacles she’s overcome, her LIFE.
We started a day early because dad (my husband) has to leave to go out of town for work and he didn’t want to miss this time with her entirely. So we had a cookout and I gave each of my girls a small gift: I gave my oldest Amber, a gift because she also lives with diabetes. Nikki’s 3 best friends came to celebrate with her, they are always here for her. Tomorrow after school I’m taking Nikki, Amber and a few of their friends to see a movie to finish up the celebration. We are also giving each child in Nikki’s class a JDRF Max Life bracelet and we made a donation of $1.00 per child to No Sugar Needed’s walk fundraiser. All in all a great way to celebrate and turn the ‘table’ on a disease that tried to take over Nikki (and to an extent our) life.
Finally, I made a special video for Nikki beginning with the day she was released from the hospital after her diagnosis through the last week or so. There some pictures of moments and events (not all, but some) that shaped the last 6 years. I had to upload the video seperately, but I invite you to view it and share in some of Nikki’s favorite memories!
Here’s hoping that one day we will no longer celebrate LIVEABETES because there will be a cure!