Walk in the Park Fights Juvenile Diabetes
June 8th, 2009 at 9:42 pm by Jacquie Walker under Jacquie Walker's Newsroom Notebook
Mackenzie Duffy is interviewed about living with juvenile diabetes.
Mackenzie's Troopers
Thousands of people – at least 3,379 of them – took a slow walk around Martin’s Fantasy Island yesterday. We had to walk slowly because of the sheer numbers of people navigating the paths and walkways of the theme park. But, we were focused on the idea of raising money for research to unlock the secrets of a disease which alters, complicates and, even, threatens life for more than 3,000 Western New Yorkers.
Mackenzie Duffy of Wheatfield is one of those Western New Yorkers. She’s a beautiful, freckle-faced 8 year old who has lived half her life with type 1 diabetes. Her little fingers have developed calluses from the daily regimen of finger pricks to check her blood levels. Then, there’s the constant worry for her parents, the medical checkups, and the dread of complications. There’s no way to measure all the ways that juvenile diabetes has changed her young life – and the lives of all her family members. But, her mother, Janeen, tells me it would be the “best thing in the entire world” if researchers can find a cure.
That’s why Mackenzie’s family rallied 66 people to join the 16th Annual Walk to Cure Diabetes yesterday as part of their team called “Mackenzie’s Troopers.” The Troopers were among many, many teams formed to support those diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. The simple act of taking a walk on a Sunday morning to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is one way that friends and family can offer support to families who have endured the life-changing diagnosis of juvenile diabetes.
WIVB-TV Channel 4 is a proud co-sponsor of this community fundraiser. The totals are not in yet, but by last evening Karen Swierski, the Executive Director of the WNY Chapter of the JDRF, reported that the chapter was already at $712,000 on a goal of $778,000 for the Walk and its associated fundraisers. That’s a fantastic figure, and a job well done to all who took a walk in the park to fight juvenile diabetes!
Jacquie starts the Walk!
Dear Jacquie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share MacKenzie’s story out there with the public. She is such a strong girl who has endured so much already in the short time she has been living with Type 1 diabetes. We are grateful for your support and see you at the walk next year!
The Duffy’s of MacKenzie’s Troopers
I am MacKenzie’s grandmother and very proud of her and until you have a child with diabetes you don’t know what they and family members go through. We totally appreciate the support she and all the children receive and I pray every day for a cure. Channel 4, you are awesome and thank you Jacquie for interviewing my daughter (she is great) and her family.
Hi, Jacquie! Thank you so much for all your support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. There are thousands of children and young people in WNY, and millions in the world who are waiting for a cure for type 1 diabetes. JDRF is dedicated to finding that cure, and we are thankful for the wonderful supporters we have helping us in our mission. For McKenzie and for all the children, we will find that cure.