Giving Hope to Underinsured Families
Diabetes Will’s Way was incorporated on April 21, 2014. We have had a decade of work, learning and joy helping families and we are just getting started!!
Please help us celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary by helping us help another 10 families! We are trying to raise $10,000 by asking all of our supporters to donate just $10-a perfect way to say Cheers to 10 Years!”
Diabetes Will’s Way is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by diabetes. Diabetes Will’s Way is a nonprofit located in Carmel, Ind. serving young people in the United States who have type 1 diabetes. We serve families who land in the type 1 diabetes healthcare gap. These families have access to insurance. But access to healthcare is still not enough. Families who qualify for a grant are fighting for their children. But their deductibles and copays are so high, they cannot afford their child’s monthly prescribed medicines.
We are seeking an experienced and visionary volunteer Executive Director to lead Diabetes Will’s Way in achieving its mission and goals. This role is currently less than part time, at about 10 required hours a month. However, a main goal for the Executive Director will be to grow the organization and its relationships, thus increasing the level of commitment. The ideal candidate will have a passion for improving the lives of those affected by diabetes and a proven track record of success in managing a non-profit organization. Experience working with families and individuals affected by chronic diseases, and knowledge of Type 1 Diabetes is preferred, but not required. The Executive Director will be responsible for the overall management, administration and direction of the organization, and will report to the Board of Directors. The Executive Director will work closely with the Director of Case Management (the previous Executive Director) throughout their transition, and as necessary for support and organizational knowledge.
If you’re interested in this position, please send your resume and details to [email protected] to set up a time to meet.
On Thursday, November 21 we hosted our fifth annual Wine, Friends & Giving Back fundraiser. Last year, we raised a little more than $9,000. It was our most successful fundraiser. We were so thankful for each and every attendee, sponsor and donor. It truly was a wonderful event.
Fast forward 365 days. In our wildest dreams, we could never have imagined what happened…..
A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles” – Anonymous. Our hearts are so full of gratitude this week as we are thankful for the amazing success of our Wine, Friends and Giving Back Fundraiser. We truly believed we were all part of a miracle! The love and generosity was palpable and the results were spectacular! $32,000 raised to help families financially fight their child’s type 1 diabetes. $10,000 of that went directly into our fund a child program which allows us to help not only Julia, our 2019 fund a child, but others who need just a bit more than the average. We extend our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to our sponsors, our attendees, our Board of Directors and our volunteers! Have a blessed Holiday Season and join us in believing in miracles!
Lisa Oberndorfer – Executive Director of Diabetes Will’s Way
I am still smiling thinking of the gratitude I have for the individuals contributing to Diabetes Will’s Way. At my church a few days after the event, we had a sermon about why having a generous heart is such an amazing quality that all people should strive for. I could not help but think of the wonderful people at our event who made love come alive for complete strangers through their giving. It was truly a special night that I feel blessed to have experienced. With each event, I think we help more in the community understand our “why”. To be able to make an impact in helping with this big disease is very humbling. Thank you all!
~Nancy Baldwin
It is the season of giving and what a privilege it was to witness so many open their hearts and help children with Type 1 at our annual Fundraiser. Our sponsors, our friends, our supporters were generous beyond words and for that we are very grateful.
– Kim Santucci
What an amazing night of support! We are so appreciative of your friendship, kindness and extreme generosity towards the mission of Diabetes Will’s Way! Thank you for “being the change” that we all want to see in the world! Have a happy holiday season and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
– Kristen Harvey
Every year, I am so completely overwhelmed by the generosity of our community. Ever year, I go into our fundraiser thinking about sponsor logos, email campaigns, posters and the behind the scenes work it takes to host an event. And, each and every year – Lisa talks, Will gives a speech or a Grandmother stands up and says, “This is my grandson, and I love him. Type 1 Diabetes is hard, and he is doing great.” Then, the work fades into the background, and the love found within the walls of the winery wraps around me. No matter how hard I try, my makeup gets ruined. Our donors, supporters, families and recipients are some of the kindest, strongest and generous humans I have ever met. For a single night – we have no differences. We are united for one cause. And, by God – together we can change the world. Continue being the lights in the darkness.
– Jen Whaley
I feel extremely blessed to be a part of an organization doing SO much good for So many deserving struggling families. None of which would be possible without your endless support. It truly takes a village and our supporters have proven to be “our village”. Thank you for your generosity, it does not go Unnoticed or under appreciated. Your support will touch the lives of many type 1 children. And that Is a blessing we all can be thankful for.
-Chelsea Price
Summer. I love summer. As I reflect on our Indiana summer, type 1 diabetes is at the heart of every colorful day; never letting up and always being present.
The red, hot fiery days, which I didn’t complain about given the cold, gray damp spring we endured, will be missed. In Indiana, it seems as if we survive one extreme only to be plunged into another. It struck me this week that this is a perfect analogy for type 1 diabetes.
I watch my son go from one extreme (high blood glucose) to another (low blood glucose) more often than I first thought possible. With each aspect of type 1 diabetes my heart and soul respond and my brain translates these responses into colors.
RED – that hot steamy anger that accompanies every high blood sugar. It is so hard as a parent to watch your child suffer and know you can’t fix the cause.
ORANGE – the warm feeling that comes over me every time my son successfully navigates another diabetic hurdle as he learns to calculate his own ratios, drives solo, attends college; simply living his best life despite this disease.
BLUE – a complicated set of emotions caused by the lack of knowledge and empathy in the world. After reading a recent twitter post that condemned a person for injecting themselves with insulin at a restaurant table saying, “That’s so gross!” Watch out – the icy blue fingers of this mama’s wrath starts to send out a scathing response into the Twitterverse. Luckily, logic takes control and I realize 280 characters will not change the stranger’s perception.
Gray – the never ending plea for someone to FIND A CURE. I don’t want anyone, including my son, to live with this disease for one more day!
Green – oh, the complicated color green. The families we serve never seem to have enough green because insulin remains unaffordable for many. For many type 1 patients not on a pump; they probably need 2-3 vials of fast acting insulin (humalog) and at least one vial of long acting insulin. They are still looking at approximately $5-600 per month for insulin alone! Few families can handle that cost month in, month out. Yes, insurance can help, but even with insurance, the amount of money per year spent just to keep their children alive is staggering.
And, don’t get me started on the amount of money made by insurance companies and executives from this disease! Well, that’s another conversation where mama’s icy blue wrath starts boils over.
Yellow – which for me represents love. When I look at my son dealing with this disease I feel all warm and tingly – just like I standing in the summer sunshine. He is a shining example of strength and perseverance. I am so proud of how he continually copes with the reality of his disease. Is he a “perfect diabetic” – goodness no! But, he handles this disease perfectly for him. And, he does not keep his disease in the shadows; it is part of him. It’s exposed to the sunlight for all to see.
Black – the mood of type 1 diabetes burnout. It’s a heartbreaking reality. Type 1 diabetes offers no breaks, no vacations. Burnout is real and even the most positive person will find themselves feeling it. I constantly pray that those black times can be banished by the yellow rays of love.
Rose – that wonderful hue of compassion and hope. Rose blooms whenever someone cares enough to ask about type 1 diabetes, and passionately searches to learn the facts. When I see my son’s friends, teachers or teammates support him and love him, my heart becomes hopeful for the future. I put on my rose-colored glasses whenever I hear about a new treatment for type 1 and think, “Well, it’s not a cure, but it is progress! Hopefully a cure will follow this breakthrough!”
Midnight Blue – my secret fear that surfaces at night knowing that he is no longer in the next room. Summer is over. And, he has returned to college. In the deep dark blue, I grapple with the “What ifs.”
What if…
This endless spiral of doom and gloom can only be repelled by the sunshine of knowing that he can handle this. He has the knowledge, and he isn’t alone. He’s got this if a complication occurs, and he’s got us. Diabetes will not win. We, as a family, will not allow it.
However, type 1 diabetes is color blind. Everyone is fair game and it refuses to play by any rules. It brings on a rainbow of emotions. But, we will never stop looking for the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow. Is the pot of gold a cure? Maybe someday, but today – our pot of gold is seeing 100 on the meter and knowing we can conquer this incurable disease.
Dear Diabetes,
It has been nearly six years since I was diagnosed. Am I happy to be a type 1 diabetic? No, but I sure am grateful. I have been so blessed with amazing coaches, teachers, sisters, friends, and neighbors, however, second to my parents, Diabetes, you have taught me the most.
Dear Diabetes,
Do you ever take a break? Can’t I just go one day without having you with me? It is a daily cross to bear. Yet, I step back and realize there’s a lesson to be learned. Quitting takes a toll on myself. If I quit or cut corners with you, it will hurt me later that day or in the long run. The same goes for life, I cannot quit because it isn’t easy; I must see the end goal, the end beauty.
Dear Diabetes,
Thank you for showing me how beautiful my mother and Godmother are. As women tend to do these two ladies took something and made it better. They took my idea and wrote it in their heart for the love of me and more importantly for the love of others. They are working to give their love to people they have not even encountered yet. What can be more beautiful than that?
Dear Diabetes,
Please pick on me all you want. I can handle it. Not because I am stronger than anyone else with diabetes, but I have been blessed with the resources to combat your plague. I would take 4 shots at each meal for you to stop picking on people who have other illnesses, who can’t afford the supplies, who are too young to comprehend. I wish there wasn’t a need for the beautiful work of my mother and Godmother at Diabetes Will’s Way.
Dear Diabetes,
You gave me a second home. You gave me lifetime friends. Being diabetic, I got the opportunity to go to Chris Dudley Basketball Camp. It’s a place of love, of common ground, of learning, of community, of compassion. It’s where I feel myself. It’s where I am understood. It’s where being diabetic is no longer a burden, but a blessing.
Dear Diabetes,
Thank you for showing me the support I was blind to. I see with greater clarity because of you the endless love my family and friend have for me.
Dear Diabetes,
Thanks for the motivation and inspiration to give back. There is truly nothing greater than giving and receiving a thank you that means safety and peace of mind. Diabetes Will’s Way has been a platform for this joy. Although it may say Will’s Way, I know that the work my mom, Godmother, and board members put in is truly the way of Christ. They give for the sake of others just as He did.
Sincerely,
Will Oberndorfer
