Nine years ago, Sara Kurtzig’s life took a turn that no parent anticipates. Her daughter Jamie was just 19 months old and seemingly had a bad case of the flu. After several visits to their pediatrician’s office and repeatedly being told to wait it out, Jamie was becoming increasingly lethargic. Sara and her husband Andy suspected that their child was suffering from something other than a seasonal virus and demanded some tests. “It was scary and awful. We were sent to Marin General for a blood draw and ultrasound,” Sara says. “They had us sit in the waiting room and then they came back with the sobering news that we needed to go straight into the emergency room at CPMC in San Francisco. She had type 1 diabetes.”

When the Kurtzigs arrived at CPMC, a pediatric endocrinologist was waiting for them. Dr. Saleh Adi would become an important person in their lives and would remain so to this day. He assured the Kurtzigs that Jamie would be ok, but that they would need to stay at the hospital for several days in order to learn how to take care of her. “The first night we spent in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit was the worst night of my life – seeing my baby hooked up to tubes, crying, getting blood drawn every hour all night long,” Sara says.  “But the next day was a new day, a better day, the beginning of our new normal.  The next day, my Jamie was back. We were transferred out of the PICU after she was stable enough.  She actually ran up and down the hospital hallways in her diaper – the first time she had wanted to run or play in weeks! She smiled. She laughed.  She lived! Such a bittersweet day for sure – in hindsight, more sweet than bitter.”

Today, that new normal includes the daily challenges of type 1 diabetes (T1D) but also joyous moments of empowerment and making a difference. On May 2, the Kurtzigs will welcome the T1D community to The Royal Ball, a unique family gala benefiting JDRF. Inspired by Jamie, Sara founded The Royal Ball in 2008, and since then the event has raised more than $800,000. This year, Sara hopes to pass the million dollar mark.

“Our family’s number one goal since Jamie’s diagnosis has been to be a part of finding a cure in our lifetime,” Sara says. “JDRF is a fantastic organization that distributes millions of dollars to the scientists, companies and organizations that are working toward a cure.”

As Jamie gets older, she becomes more and more involved in planning The Royal Ball, which takes on a different theme each year. “She has a lot of input on the event,” Sara says. “At The Royal Ball India in 2013, she was really excited about the snake charmer and at The Royal Ball China in 2012, she was thrilled with the acrobats! I must say that she is the most excited about this year’s event– it will be an incredible family scavenger hunt like the ‘Amazing Race,’ one of her favorite shows.” Like the show, families will solve and find clues, carrying out tasks as a team. “There will be lots of fun surprises along the way and a big fun treat at the end – Jamie won’t let me say!” Sara says.

Sara wants people to know that kids who live with T1D are just like other kids, full of energy and dreams. They inspire and motivate her every day to help find a cure for Jamie and the millions of other children and adults who live with T1D. “If you think The Royal Ball is an awesome party,” she says, “just wait until there’s a cure. We’ll have one epic party to throw then!”