Roe's Story

My oldest daughter, Roe, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) on July 9, 2019, just one week shy of her third birthday. It is a day our family will never forget.

Until then, Roe was a happy, healthy two-year-old with no prior medical problems and no family history of T1D. Over the course of three days, she began drinking enormous amounts of water and wetting the bed. My mommy instinct told me something was wrong, so I called her doctor and was told to bring her in immediately. Her blood sugar was 650. We were told to pack a bag and go directly to CHOP. Her kidneys were failing, she had lost significant weight, and she was struggling to breathe.

Since that day, Roe has shown us what it truly means to be a FIGHTER. Every day, she manages a disease that never takes a day off. She constantly monitors her blood sugar and requires insulin for everything she eats and drinks. She wears a continuous glucose monitor and insulin pod, both of which must be regularly replaced and can be painful. She is often woken during the night and interrupted during the day to treat dangerous highs and lows.

T1D has no cure. Two years ago, Roe received a second diagnosis: Celiac disease.

And yet, through it all, Roe remains fearless. She lights up every room she enters and proudly tells people she has diabetes.
She loves softball, dreams of becoming a YouTube star, and hopes to become a pediatric surgeon. Sometimes she asks, ‘Why do I have to have diabetes?’ Most days, she is the one comforting us.

She is our hero, and we could not be prouder to call her our daughter.

With T1D, there are no days off and there is no cure. But there is hope.

Will you join us in helping make a cure a reality? Our fight is Roe's fight, and we will never stop fighting for her. http://www2.breakthrought1d.org/goto/TeamRoeRoe

Thank you for your support.

The Richardson Family

At the start of this season, my husband, John, asked Roe, ‘What do you really want to be the best at in softball?’

Her response: ‘Dad, I want to hit bombs into the outfield.’

Be like Roe. Express your winning spirit and support her in finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.:

http://www2.breakthrought1d.org/goto/TeamRoeRoe

Roe’s Winning Spirit