SMCA
We just received some really fantastic news and just in time for Christmas! The SMCA or The Sheet Metal Contractors Association of Philadelphiaheard about Arden’s Day and were moved to advocacy! SMCA is an association of leading Sheet Metal Contractors, employing the master craftsmen of Local Union #19, SMWIA.
Historically the SMCA makes a charitable donation to the Hero Scholarship Thrill Show, an annual event created to provide a college education for children of police and firefighters who were killed or disabled in the line of duty. This year they have decided to expand their charitable giving and have generously made a $1,000 donation the the JDRF in Arden’s name.
Arden is also being featured in their December Newsletter which is mailing today. I’ll post a copy of it as soon as it is available. Here is the text from the newsletter:
NEED LETTER
Please join me in welcoming the members of SMCA to our site and thank them for their generous support!
Individuals wishing to make a tax deductible donation to the JDRF in Arden’s name can do so by clicking here.
An Update about Arden
It’s been some time now since this blog started so I wanted to let you know how Arden is doing. She had her quarterly endocrinologist appointment last week. Her A1c was 8.2, too high for you and I but acceptable for a child her age. We are thrilled!
Her doctor wants her to see a nutritionist because she says Arden isn’t gaining weight fast enough but that probably isn’t a sign of any thing to worry about. Unless....
We are waiting for the results of a few blood tests. Arden is being tested for Celiac Disease. It is apparently more prevalent in diabetic kids then in non-diabetic and if she has it could be the cause of her slow weight gain. I hope she doesn’t have this too... Celiac like diabetes is a auto-immune disease.
Day to day isn’t much different. Some good days and some bad. Last week Arden was hypoglycemic four days in a row. Each day at the exact same time. Then it just stops... so weird and unexplainable. It’s the reason she get tested so often everyday. You just never know when her BG will go south unexpectedly. She got pretty low the first day (28) but she did a great job of drinking and eating and we were able to combat the insulin peak. She is such a trooper! She choked down cookies and a sandwich even though she wasn’t hungry and couldn’t stop crying (because of the low BG). When she leveled out she said, “I’m sorry for crying... I just couldn’t stop.”
We had to stop giving her injections in her arms because deposits of insulin were forming. She is now getting more in her thighs and butt (which took some doing). It’s hard because there aren’t many fatty areas on her body.
Diabetes a side. She is getting very excited for Christmas. We took a train ride with Santa last weekend and just completed her second session of pre-preschool! She is going to join a new class in the spring.
We may have one more announcement this year but just in case that doesn’t work out... I’ll wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday and Peace filled New Year now. Thank you for supporting this site and please look for more to come in 2008!
There are santa train pictures are in the Scrapbook section.
**
The following are archived comments from this post. You can post new comments below.
I just received this email from Arden's Nurse Practitioner...
Hi Scott,
I just wanted to let you know that the Celiac results for Arden were
negative. We will repeat next year.
Your Donation at Work!
The JDRF does more then diabetes research and education. They also lobby our representatives on behalf of diabetics. Their program (JDRF Advocacy) has been working tirelessly this year to ensure Congress voted to extend the ‘Special Diabetes Program’...
I’m thrilled to tell you that it was passed today by Congress and is fully expected to be signed by the President when it reaches his desk!!! The program faced a 35% reduction had the bill not passed.
JDRF Advocacy isn’t planning to rest after this victory.
From the JDRF:
“You should also know that our job is not finished, and we will all need to return after the holidays with a renewed focus to work with Congress in 2008 to complete the job of securing a multi-year extension for the SDP so that the dollars can be spent in the most effective way.”
In a very real way the $10, $50 or $100 dollars you donated helped secure 150 million dollars in aid.
Other News:
The JDRF recently released the 2007 walk totals for our area. The Philadelphia and Bucks County sites raised a combined 1.7 million dollars. I wanted to thank you all one more time for your efforts. Last year we helped raise $1,800 and this year $8,311... who knows what we’ll be able to do in 2008!
Thank you!