Let's be honest for a second...
Your child receiving a diagnosis of Type One Diabetes is rough. The days following can leave you in a fog and the feeling like you are drinking water from a fire hose. It can cause extreme stress, depression, and feelings of hopelessness, and often feels like the end.
But tons of Online Resources can help educate, inspire and just give us as parents a place to vent.
Here are 5 great Online resources for newly diagnosed parents of T1D.
1) Montana Youth Diabetes Alliance - A non-Profit in Montana focused on T1D youth.
Montana Youth Diabetes Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that started in 2019 to fulfill the unmet needs of the Montana Type One Diabetes Community.
Their mission is to enrich the lives of youth with Type 1 Diabetes and their families while offering safe, fun, and educational opportunities through camps and other events. MYDA provides financial assistance for out-of-pocket expenses associated with self-management supplies and networking resources to navigate diabetes-related support systems.
A few ways they help:
Camp MYDA
They throw an awesome week-long overnight camp for T1D youth ages 8-17 every summer called Camp MYDA. Camp MYDA is a place where there’s nothing unusual about having type 1 diabetes. There’s no need to explain blood sugar testing, finger pricks, insulin injections, ketones, “lows,” boluses, or carb counting. Everyone here understands!
Out-of-Pocket Expense Reimbursement Program
Montana Youth Diabetes Alliance understands that T1D can be expensive. MYDA will reimburse up to $500 a year for any T1D-related expenses, regardless of family income to families living in Montana. All they require is a download of your receipts and to fill out a simple form.
T1D Community Events
Montana Youth Diabetes Alliance puts on T1D-related events all year long. They have a Family Retreat, Spaghetti Feeds and other events to provide a community for the families affected by Type One Diabetes, allowing families to meet and share experiences and the kids to see each other outside of camp.
You can see their Event Calendar Here!
2) Type 1 Families of Montana - Facebook Group
This Facebook group is the largest group of T1D families on Facebook. It's a great way to meet local families. If you need something in an emergency like a Dexcom sensor or pump inset or even insulin, this is the group to go to.
3) Montana DPHHS T1D Parent & Family Tool Kit
This page has tons of information about sending your child back to school and has downloadable forms for DMMP and 504 forms along with lots more information.
4) Juicebox Podcast - Podcast, Online Facebook Group
This worldwide Online Facebook Group is 30,000+ people strong and super active with not only parents of T1D's but adult T1D's & LADA's. The group is formed around the Podcast called "The Juicebox Podcast" which is the biggest T1D Podcast in the world ranking #15 on the Apple Charts for ALL Medical podcasts in the world.
The podcast and FB Group heavily lean on education past what you are taught by your endocrinologist and dive deep into the science of how to use insulin. The FB Group is drama free and the largest online collection of T1D's with A1Cs below 6.
You can find Scott's "Bold Beginnings" Series of episodes designed for newly diagnosed families and T1Ds by Clicking Here.
5) T1D Mod Squad - Online Facebook T1D support group for parents.
T1D Mod Squad is a place for parents of children with T1D to come together and share, educate, and form lasting relationships. This group is made up of not only moms of diabetics, but dads, and direct caregivers of T1D. Their hope is you find all of the care and support you may as we walk this journey together.
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