- Commissioner Brent Chesney's annual Sandcastle 5k and 10k race benefiting childhood diabetes is Sat. Oct 19th on Padre Island.
- One island mother, Amanda Weaver's daughter Addison Sparkman, was diagnosed with childhood diabetes 10 years ago.
- Weaver says events like the Sandcastle Run help spread awareness and raise money for childhood diabetes in the Coastal Bend.
- Proceeds from the Sandcastle Run go towards 'Camp Sandcastle' which is a summer camp specifically for children with diabetes.
Nueces County Commissioner Brent Chesney's annual Sandcastle 5k and 10k free race benefiting childhood diabetes will be held on Sat. Oct 19th, starting at Briscoe King Pavillion on Padre Island. This year is the 8th year of the Sandcastle Run. This cause hits home for local families impacted by childhood diabetes, like Amanda Weaver and her family.
“We assumed that she had the flu. But she did not. We brought her to Texas Children’s, and her blood sugar was 600. And so, by the time we got her there, they said, you know, if we had even been an hour later, they weren’t sure if she would have made it," Weaver said.
That's the reality of what some families with children who have childhood diabetes go through.
“My daughter is Addison Sparkman. She’s 17 now, but she was diagnosed when she was 7 with type 1 diabetes," Weaver said.
While Addison lives the life of a typical teenager going to school, playing sports, and getting ready to go off to college in a year, her mother says it has not been an easy road.
“She’s doing great. She’s thriving. She plays sports, and she makes great grades. And I will say that we’re very blessed with technology. It’s come a long way since she was diagnosed. So, I can tell you how her blood sugar is doing by looking on my phone or my watch," Weaver said.
Weaver has been the primary caretaker for Addison's type 1 diabetic needs for the majority of the past 10 years.
“When she was younger, I managed all of that. But, you know, now she’s gonna be going off to college next year, so over the last few years, we’ve been teaching her the responsibility and trying to transition her to, you know, be responsible for her own care," Weaver said.
Weaver is just one of the local parents of children with childhood diabetes who advocates for spreading awareness. Commissioner Brent Chesney's annual Sandcastle 5k and 10k race is one of the local fundraisers she holds close to her heart.
“It really hits home, and you really know you’re helping people. So, it’s just a neat deal, and diabetes is very prevalent in the Coastal Bend and anything we can do to help those kids and help prevent it is super important," Commissioner Chesney said.
The proceeds from the annual Sandcastle Run go towards a summer camp held in Rockport called 'Camp Sandcastle.'
"Because the kids have diabetes, they have special needs that they have to have more medical attention for, more medical care. They do different activities, so the camp is more expensive. They have to transport them," Commissioner Chesney said. "A lot of times, they can't stay overnight. But they don't get to go to normal summer camp. You know, they don't get to be kids because most summer camps are not set up for the kind of medical care that children with diabetes have. It's just a really neat deal."
Weaver said many people are uneducated about the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that many people are diagnosed with during childhood, and it can not be prevented or reversed.
“Just some awareness, because people will see Addison, and they’re like oh, 'did your mom just give you too much sugar when you were little?' And she takes that opportunity to educate them on what type 1 diabetes is," Weaver said. "If you meet somebody with it, don't assume. Ask them, and they're usually happy to answer."
Commissioner Brent Chesney's annual Sandcastle 5k and 10k free race benefiting childhood diabetes starts at 8:00 am on Sat. Oct 19th at Briscoe King Pavillion. You can still register for the race here.
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