FLORENCE, SC —
It’s been nearly three years since Buffy and Phillip Campbell’s son, Bailey, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and since his diagnosis, the Campbell family has geared up to help with fundraising efforts for those affected by diabetes.
The family spearheaded fundraising efforts this year for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s 2011 Pee Dee Walk to Cure Diabetes by establishing an inaugural poker run in their son’s honor to be held annually.
The poker run is just one way the Campbell family hopes to meet their $5,000 goal before the walk, to be held Saturday; Bailey has also traveled door-to-door with his parents to promote awareness about juvenile diabetes and help with fundraising.
Buffy said she initially missed some warning signs of Bailey’s case of type 1 (also known as juvenile) diabetes.
“He would sleep a lot, he drank a lot, but it was the summertime, so that didn’t trigger anything with me,” Buffy said.
The trigger came one night when then 8-year-old Bailey wet the bed while sleeping — something he had never done before.
“I told my husband that something wasn’t right. He told me something wasn’t right, and to take him to the doctor, it’ll cost $20. We ended up n the hospital,” Buffy said.
Doctors told the family their son had type 1 diabetes for up to three months before the visit to the doctor, something Buffy said was overwhelming to hear.
“I tried not to get upset in front of him, because I didn’t want him to know, but it was very hard. Very hard,” Buffy said.
Just after the diagnosis, Buffy said she became depressed because she realized there was no cure for type 1 diabetes and felt she did not have a good support system.
She hopes establishing a poker run and becoming involved in type 1 diabetes fundraising will connect a community with resources and support for those who need it.
Buffy said it can be more difficult for young children to grasp the importance of a type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
“There’s cake, there’s parties, you know, and you can’t necessarily have all that you want as a child. Everything that goes in his mouth needs to be monitored. He can’t just go eat an ice cream; we need to know what his sugar is,” Buffy said.
The Campbell family has raised funds for the cause since their son’s diagnosis, and because Buffy and Phillip ride motorcycles, establishing a poker run seemed like a good fit.
“We’ve done this before, and we figured we’d just bring our friends in and they would be supportive,” Buffy said. “Bikers support good causes, and this is a good cause.”
Buffy hopes her son will understand what the future could hold if he doesn’t learn to take care of himself.
“I’m not sure that at 10 he understands that you could lose limbs, sight, things like that. As an adult, it’s going to be harder for him, unless there’s a cure found,” Buffy said.
Bill Rowe, who signed up for the poker run, regularly participates in poker runs, but chose to join the Campbell family in fundraising in honor of his mother, who was also diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.
“It runs in my family. My mother had it real bad. I think about her often,” Rowe said. “I enjoy seeing friends. Sometimes we only see one another unless it’s at a poker run.”
For Rowe, helping the Campbell family fundraise was an easy decision.
“If it has anything to do with poker runs and motorcycles, I’m in,” Rowe said.
Type 1 juvenile diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, and could potentially damage the body’s nerve and blood vessels.
Symptoms can include increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss and fatigue.
The 2011 JDRF Pee Dee Walk to Cure Diabetes will be Saturday at 11 a.m. on the track at McLeod Health and Fitness Center in Florence.
On-site registration begins at 10 a.m.
For more information or to register online, visit www.walk.jdrf.org.
