Missing three days of school this week with an illness put Danny Whiskeyman behind last year’s pace in his efforts to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk to Cure Diabetes.
He was selling rubber bracelets Thursday in the Williams Intermediate School cafeteria in Davenport to catch up.
But the 14-year-old Davenport boy, who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 9, knows that every little bit helps.
“Any money we can raise is helping to find a cure,” he said. “I’m hopeful that they can find a cure in my lifetime.”
Danny has participated annually in the local Walk for the Cure. This year’s event, 10 a.m. Saturday at Niabi Zoo in Coal Valley, is expected to draw about 2,500 participants, with a goal of raising $230,000.
There are 23 million Americans with diabetes, and the disease kills one person every three minutes, according to the organization.
Danny’s mother, Lauri Whiskeyman, said participating in the walk and raising money for the foundation gives Danny the experience of volunteering as well as hope that a cure for diabetes can be found.
“Diabetes is a tough, tough disease, especially for a kid,” she said. “They never get a break from it.”
Aside from sometimes not being able to eat what he would like and having to monitor his diabetes closely, Danny said the disease has not stopped him from living his life the way he would like.
“Diabetes is not going to stop me from doing anything,” he said. “It’s just an obstacle.”
