Parents who watched their son suffer with diabetes are being honored this year at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Gala April 30.
More than 20 years ago, Mike and Lisa Smart watched as their son, Bobby, had to endure invasive and painful methods of monitoring his insulin levels after being diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes at age 2. The sophisticated methods for monitoring were not yet developed.
“When you find out your little 2-year-old has problems all you want to do is fix it,” Mike Smart said.
Smart started doing his own research and found out about the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Mike Smart, an executive director of Generation Strategy of NV Energy, met with other parents of child diabetics and started raising money for a branch in 1995.
In 1997, Smart was named the first president of the Northern Nevada branch.
The couple have helped the organization raise millions.
“It breaks your heart to see your children in pain,” Smart said.
This year’s gala, themed Mystique, is one of the organization’s two big fundraisers annually.
The gala raises between $350,000 and $500,000 a year. The annual Walk to Cure Diabetes is held every October.
The JDRF credits Smart with doing more for the organization than any other person.
“He has been to almost every event since our inception — Our Walk to Cure Diabetes wouldn’t be the same without him,” said Molly Dillon, the JDRF Northern Nevada branch manager.
“Lisa has been by his side in this fight every step of the way.”
Their son, Bobby, now 25, is a project engineer for Granite Construction in Reno.
