For those of us in the diabetes
community, the title says it all--Blue Candles. They are the candles that we
light in cyberspace to remember someone with diabetes who has lost the fight.
Each month, each week, we seem to see these images pop up across the online
community. As profile pictures are changed on Facebook stories emerge, fears
grow and the desire for a cure is that much stronger.
This time the candles are being lit for a bright,
young fourteen year old girl. She was diagnosed when she was four years
old. She laid down for a nap and her father found her dead on her bed a few
hours later. The story sends chills down my spine. She did not die at night.
She passed away sometime during the afternoon. We do not know many of the
details. We only know that she was far too young to die.
I don't tell my son about these stories any more. He is almost the same age and has had diabetes for a few years more than she
did. I don't light candles on my Facebook profile. I don't write about half of
the stories that I hear. I can't. I read about these children--whether they are
fourteen or forty, they are still someones children. My heart breaks for the
parents and the families. I hug my boys a little closer. I pray a little harder.
I hope for the very best.