My Friend, Baby Grayson Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes: How You Can Help

He's learning how to walk. He can say a handful of words including his favorite word, "cracker." He brings smiles everywhere he goes. And he's learning how to control his blood sugar. He only turned one year old in February. His name is Grayson and he has Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes.

A typical day in the life of a baby involves a lot of discovery, like learning you have feet attached to your body for the first time, that's a big one. "Hmm, I wonder what these taste like...did she call them, toes?...maybe I should giggle, Mommy will like that, I think..." The typical day doesn't normally involve needles, insulin and blood sugar levels. But, for little Grayson, it now does.

My friends, Nakia and Steve welcomed Grayson into their lives just over a year ago with love and excitement, never expecting how things would be only so many months later. At the end of March, after already being in the hospital a couple of times in 2015, Steve posted to Facebook, with this photo attached:

"We are back on the Pediatrics floor of [Albany Medical Center] with Grayson after some good intuition from mommy. Our 1-year-old has been diagnosed with viral onset Type 1 diabetes. If you've been following the chapters, you'll remember that he was in the hospital with a viral infection for a few days last Thanksgiving. Grayson is doing OK but his parents have a lot of learning to do about monitoring and regulating the glucose levels of a little boy..."

Now, every day involves the same discovery that little Grayson would be having, like any other baby, but it involves so much more than that for him and his family.

How can you help, not only Grayson but children with type 1 diabetes everywhere? On May 1st, I will be joining Nakia and her team: The Sugar Heroes in the JDRF Walk at UAlbany's Campus. Our goal is not an unrealistic amount to raise, this is all so new and fresh after all. But, we know how important it is to start this fight for our little man and everyone that is touched by juvenile diabetes. You can donate by clicking the picture below and please keep that little, beautiful, smiley face in your thoughts as we grow closer to May 1st.

The JDRF Walk is on May 1st at the UAlbany Campus

1400 Washington Avenue, Albany

Check-In: 9:30am

The Walk: 11:00am

Duration: 3 Miles