This year in July, Logan’s 10th anniversary of this diagnosis with type 1 diabetes will happen during the annual Children with Diabetes Friends for Life Orlando Conference in Florida.
Logan has attended the conference since 2015 and has worked hard to give back ever since. In 2016, Logan’s fundraising supported a “Mickey Bar” afternoon where all the event participants are treated to chocolate covered ice cream bars shaped like Mickey Mouse. The last two years he delivered speeches about why it’s important to support Children with Diabetes, and how to win fundraising contests along the way. Logan and his family are often contacted about guidance on fundraising strategies and his contributions earned him the “Unexpected Hero” award which he accepted at the 2017 Friends For Life Banquet.
As a special challenge for this milestone year along his journey with diabetes, Logan chose to run at the annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend to support non-profits that have supported him in his journey with diabetes. Logan ran the 10K for Children with Diabetes and the 5K to fundraise for JDRF. He raised over $24,000 ($18000 for CWD and $6000 for JDRF) and was the youngest runner on both teams.
In these races he ran alongside many of his peers with diabetes, sharing their diabetes management strategies along the way.
Here is Logan lined up at the start of the 10K.
Logan took a quick break for some carbohydrate during the 10K run with fellow runner with type 1 diabetes, Stella Hogan, as Vice President of Education and Programs at Children with Diabetes Laura Billetdeaux smiles from behind.
"During my 5K and 10K runs, my t:slim X2 Pump integrated with Dexcom made it easier for me to run more and stop less. It was so much better than last year when I had to take out my phone or stop and test." said Logan.
Logan received registration for the 2018 Friends For Life Orlando conference as a Christmas gift. Since December, he met a personal goal to fundraise for a giant party at the conference to celebrate his diaversary. There, he will bring together his friends with diabetes who live all around the country.
Logan with his JDRF teammates and fellow Tandem pumpers Emma Kleck and Lauren Dahlin after the 10k that day. Emma did the half-marathon on Saturday, and Lauren did the full marathon Sunday.
Logan at the finish line for the 5K.
We love seeing our customers giving back to this community and nothing motivates us more than seeing our pumpers push their limits for a good cause. We are so proud of Logan!
What’s your journey with T1D like? Share pictures and stories with us via community@tandemdiabetes.com. We’d love to hear and share.
From time to time, we may pass along: suggestions, tips, or information about other Tandem Insulin Pump user experiences or approaches to the management of diabetes. However, please note individual symptoms, situations, circumstances and results may vary. Please consult your physician or qualified health care provider regarding your condition and appropriate medical treatment. Please read the Important Safety Information linked below before using a Tandem Diabetes Care product.