If you ask 10-year-old Maggie Drysch what she would wish for if she had three wishes, she’ll only tell you two. The two wishes are so desirable that a third seems almost unnecessary. Her second wish is not a bigger allowance, no more homework, not even no more chores (you would think!). Of all things, Maggie would want a barn full of horses. Of course, this isn’t totally surprising. As the cover shows, she’s a serious horseback rider. Her favorite movie is Seabiscuit, she’s on her school equestrian team, and is a top rider in the Orange County Interscholastic Equestrian League. Indeed, horseback riding is so important that she practices five days a week. But even a full ranch of horses doesn’t hold a candle to what Maggie’s first wish would be. “I wish I had no more diabetes,” she says.
Luckily, Maggie isn’t alone in her desire to eradicate diabetes. Organizations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which by itself has raised close to a billion dollars worldwide, have mobilized to make a tremendous impact at the forefront of the fight against diabetes. They know all too well that the pain experienced by the 1.3 million type-one diabetic Americans goes well beyond the numerous pricks and injections they endure every single day.
Since Maggie was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes on her birthday three years ago, she and her parents, Beverly and Scott Drysch, have been forced to confront many ordinary parts of childhood in a life-or-death fashion. “We are very fortunate to have Maggie attending a private school for many reasons, but mostly because, unlike local public schools, there are nurses on staff to monitor her every day,” says Beverly.
Even though Maggie works hard to manage her symptoms, she still must report to the school nurse’s office every day before lunch since she isn’t administering her own shots yet. That, and being monitored before every class party, is just the tip of the iceberg. The need to control her diabetes requires at least one of her parents to go on every school field trip; makes sleepovers almost impossible; and makes dealing with stress and sickness (which can cause irregular blood sugar) all the more stressful. “A simple flu bug that may cause the normal child to stay in bed and miss school for a few days will have us on the phone with her doctor around the clock to keep her blood sugar in normal range and her out of the hospital,” says Beverly, adding that “Probably the scariest time for a diabetic is at night when they are sleeping. If her blood sugar numbers have been irregular I will usually sleep with her, set an alarm to check her blood sugar in the middle of the night, and ‘hand’ check her throughout the night for signs of an insulin reaction such as skin that is clammy or sweaty to the touch.”
Indeed, the idea of curing diabetes must seem like wishful thinking to Maggie. But she should take comfort in knowing that every day that passes is a step closer to making her dream a reality. Over the next five years, some $2.5 billion will be spent on type-one research around the world, including projected JDRF funds of $500 million, industry investment, and a $750 million supplement for the U.S. National Institutes of Health, passed as a result of JDRF advocacy. Just two of JDRF’s focuses include perfecting islet transplantation to permanently restore normal blood sugar levels in people with type-one diabetes and developing an artificial pancreas which would automatically monitor blood sugar levels and administer insulin as needed.
Of course, almost all the money that JDRF raises worldwide can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of its local chapters—one of the best being Orange County. The chapter’s staff members, led by director Louise Cummings, have only been able to accomplish the enormous amount they have because of the tireless hearts of volunteers such as Adrienne Thomas, Elyse Roberts, and Jennifer Condas. All three women are on the chapter’s board of directors, the planning committee of the Cirque du Soleil-themed Dream Gala fundraiser this February 25 at the Disney Grand Californian hotel, and members of the chapter’s new women’s Dream Guild (led by Condas), which has also thus far thrown very successful fundraising events. “We are thrilled to have the creativity and leadership of such wonderful volunteers who care so much for their community,” says Cummings.
The great charitable work Thomas, Roberts, and Condas do truly is admirable. But at the same time, it reminds us how devastating diabetes is to Orange County and to the world. But we’ll continue to approach diabetes the same way Maggie would any obstacle—gallop toward it head on. This way, the only choice left, is soar over it.

—David Krissman

To contact the JDRF chapter in Orange County
please call (949) 553-0363 or visit www.jdrf.org.