Moms ‘Walk to Cure’ diabetes Women plan 5K run in Humboldt

When Dana Vanatta’s son Caleb was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four years ago, she was stunned.
“It was shocking,” Dana said. “There was lots of crying.”
Once Caleb, now 17, was diagnosed his lifestyle instantly changed. He still participates in sports — football, basketball and baseball — but he had to become more careful about his eating habits.
“I had to learn how to count carbs and measure food,” Caleb said.
“Everyone thinks it’s the sugar you have to watch but it’s the carbs,” Dana added.
The Vanatta family is not alone.
In the United States, 15,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in a year, according to diabetes research. Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes. It is when the pancreas no longer produces the insulin the body needs to survive. The person replaces insulin the body is missing.
Health care professionals do not know what causes diabetes and are looking for a cure.
A team of local mothers have banded together to raise funds for a cure.
Vanatta along with Gretchen Murrow, Brandi Gibson, Amber Weide and Shona Crays decided to make the community more aware of diabetes.
Murrow said her son Joe, 12, was diagnosed a year ago. Joe, just like Caleb, started showing symptoms of diabetes in school, which include increased thirst, extreme hunger, weight loss, fatigue and blurred vision.
“I lost 15 pounds in a week,” Caleb said.
Murrow said Joe was falling asleep while in class and no one knew why.
GRETCHEN and Dana said the Humboldt school staff had been very understanding with the students who have diabetes.
Teachers leave snacks in classrooms to help keep the student’s sugar level balanced.
“We would like to have an assembly at the school,” Gretchen said, to provide awareness information.
THE GROUP of mothers has planned a 3K walk and 5K run to raise awareness and funds for research.
The first “Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes” will be on Aug. 24 in Humboldt. The race will start on the Humboldt square at 6 p.m. Registration for the walk/run is $15 and includes a T-shirt.
Participants may sign up the day of the event. Early registration forms are due on Aug. 14.
The event will have a hot-dog, chips and drink meal for a $2.50 donation. Free inflatables, such as a bouncy house and obstacle course, also will be at the event, as will a dunk tank.
“We also will have live music,” Gretchen said. Performing will be Lowwater, Damaris Kunkler, Rex Close Jr., Cody Lassman and Riley Herder.
The women have been planning the event for about a month. Fund-raising doesn’t stop there, though.
Dana and Gretchen said they would have several fundraisers, including a bake sale at Walmart Saturday. A car wash is Aug. 3 at Iola’s Sonic Drive-in. On Aug. 10 there’s a bake sale at Moon’s grocery in Humboldt.
All proceeds and donations will go to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The women will present the foundation with a check on Oct. 12 at the JDRF walk at the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City.
The team of mothers is trying to spread the word about the event.
“We’ve put flyers around Chanute, Humboldt and Iola,” Dana said.
To obtain a registration form contact Murrow at 620-473-0209, Vanatta at 620-473-0263, Gibson at 620-228-2184, Weide at 620-365-8212 or Crays at 620-473-3703. The event also has a Facebook page called Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes.