Do you know a kid between the ages of 8 and 14 years old who wants to take the field with the Oakland A’s on Root Beer Float Day on July 23 to promote T1D awareness and support JDRF? Enter this contest! In 500 characters or less, ask your kids to tell us: • Why it is important to share your story of life with #T1D • Why you want to Take the Field with the Oakland A’s to spread awareness! Please email your contest essays to sprice@jdrf.org by July 11. Must be between the ages of 8-14. Here are a few a recent essays that won our hearts:

“Since my diagnosis in 2009, I have played competitive soccer, basketball and have been selected for my league’s AllStar baseball team 5 years in a row.  There are times where I have been frustrated by my diabetes and I don’t want to be bothered by checking my sugars or making sure I have the proper amount of insulin in my body.  But I have learned to overcome these frustrations.  Instead I am an example of what it means to live with this auto-immune disease.  My good friend was diagnosed this week.  I learned that I was an  example for him. He knew that he would be ok since he had seen me living with type 1 diabetes for so long.  I want to an example. Type 1 diabetes doesn’t have to change who you are…you can still be an athlete or whatever else you may want to be!” – Ryan, 11

“I am thirteen years old and have been living with T1D for about four years now. When I was first diagnosed, it was pretty easy to get used to and figure out because my twin sister, Maya, was diagnosed from a very young age. By the time I was diagnosed I knew all about T1D and what I had to do to take care or it. We recently got onto the insulin pump and CGM which has been amazing. I feel that spreading awareness of T1D is important because not everyone understands what it is and what we have to deal with each day. I hope that sharing my story with T1D can inspire others. Not only inspire them, but show them they can do what they want in life and to not let T1D get in their way. ” – David, 13

“I am thirteen years old. I was diagnosed in December of 2004 and my twin brother David was diagnosed with T1D in 2009. Las May, we switched to insulin pumps and and we also started using the CGM. Both have made managing T1D a lot easier. Sharing my sotry raises awareness of T1D and spreads the reality of living with T1D daily. I hope that my story inspires others. I would like to take the field with the Oakland Athletics to raise awareness of T1D. I hope that when others see us take the field,t hey see that we are just normal kids and are able to live healthy, active lives. I am happy to be able to be involved in such great organizations that are dedicated to us, people who live with T1D.” – Maya, 13

My name is Samaya Brown and I am eight years old. In 2012 when I was six years old I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The past two years I have learned a lot about how to live with T1D. I know how to test my blood sugar, count carbs and give myself insulin shots. Sometimes, having T1D can be hard because no one in my family or in my school has T1D. Last year, I attended my first T1D day camp and it was the first time I got to meet other kids my age with T1D. Meeting other kids with T1D makes me feel happy because they can understand and relate to what I am feeling and going through – I did not feel so alone. I don’t let T1D stop me from living a fun life. Having Type 1 Diabetes teaches me that it is important be brave and to not let T1D stop me from being happy. I like to play sports like soccer, softball, karate, swimming and cheerleading. It is important to help other people learn about T1D so that they can be more understanding about what we go through every day. I want people to know that even though we have to do extra things like check our blood sugar and take insulin, we are just like any other kid. I want to Take the Field with the Oakland A’s because I think it is important to raise awareness of T1D so that other people who have Type 1 Diabetes do not feel so scared and so alone. – Samaya, 8

Hi. My name is Wyatt and I have Type 1 Diabetes.  And by that I mean “I Got This!” as in “Don’t worry about me, I got this Type 1 thing under control!”  When I first got diabetes I didn’t know anything about it. There were 4 other kids in my school with it, so I was lucky to meet other kids right away.  I had no idea they had Type 1 Diabetes because it doesn’t show on the outside! They taught me a lot about taking care of myself and testing and how to just be a normal kid.  Not everyone has friends like that though.  It’s important for me to tell my story about getting diabetes so that other kids don’t feel alone. It’s also important because a lot of adults get confused and tell me different things I can do to Cure myself from Type 1 Diabetes.  I guess they don’t get that there is no cure. Not yet.  I have done JDRF walks to raise money and awareness.  I have collected coins at school and donated money from lemonade sales.  I gave a speech to a group of grown ups about having Type 1 Diabetes. They are putting on a party to raise money for JDRF.  I cried, because sometimes Type 1 Diabetes stinks, but it was cool.  I want to meet other kids that just got diagnosed and help them not be so scared.  Even though I have Type 1 diabetes, I still play soccer, baseball, football, swim, jump off rocks, wrestle with my brothers, ride my bike, and do all the other things the other kids do. I want to take the field with the Oakland A’s to spread awareness because I LOVE baseball!  I always make sure to move my pod on game days so that it is on my NON sliding butt cheek and NOT on my throwing arm.  I want to take the field to show other kids with Type 1 Diabetes that they can do anything.  I also want to show people that don’t know very much about Type 1 Diabetes that I’m just a normal kid who loves the greatest sport in America!!!   Thank you JDRF for always doing fun things for our T1D family!  – Wyatt

Alexis is a very talented 10-year old girl.  She is very easy going. She enjoys drawing, singing, and dancing.  A year ago, she was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes.  Living with Diabetes has been a life changing experience for her and our family.  From living on routine schedules, counting carbs, needles, insulin, all in efforts to control her high and low blood sugars, but through it all she has been a trooper.  I feel attending events like Strike Out T1D as a family and being able to take the field with the Oakland A’s serves as a stepping stone in her battle.  Not to mention, her dad is a huge fan.  He watched Rickey Henderson break the stolen base record in 1991 and met pitcher Dave Stewart in person right after the 1990 world series. Most importantly for Alexis, this event creates an awareness about Type 1 Diabetes, letting her know that it is important to continue the fight and most importantly she is not alone. – Alexis’ mom, Victoria

These kids will be joining A’s players on the field during Root Beer Float Day on July 23! Send us your contest essays today so you can be included too!