We were caught by surprise 5 years ago when our son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. No relative on either side of our family had the disease, we didn't know anyone with the disease, and we weren't really sure what Type 1 Diabetes was. Luckily, we happen to live just 20 minutes from one of the country's premiere Children's Endocrinology Centers. We learned everything we could as quickly as we could. We were relieved to find such a strong, supportive network of parents and researchers all working towards a cure.
We also found that many friends and relatives had only sketchy notions of the disease. "He'll grow out of it, won't he?" "Did your wife eat a lot of sugar while pregnant?" "I understand, my dog has diabetes..." But we don't mind educating people - it is the foundation on which acceptance, support, and a cure will be based.
To our surprise, we found that there was not an accepted ribbon to display support for finding a cure to Type 1. As a visual artist, I started thinking about what that symbol could be. I knew it needed to be more sophisticated than just showing the equipment involved (needles, meters) or drops of blood. It needed to focus on the person, and how they handle the disease as part of their life.
After going through many different ideas that weren't quite right, my wife suggested the tightrope walker. I finished the design the next day.
Red and white to represent blood and sugar. A child walking the tightrope between food (represented by an apple) and insulin. The delicate balance done every day to maintain equilibrium until the cure is found. There is no negative connotation to tightrope walking -- it is beautiful to behold by someone with the hard-won skill. But our goal is not just to make walking that tightrope easier, but through science, awareness, and perseverance we will bring our loved ones back to solid ground.
Please feel free to download and spread this symbol. Please ask questions and make comments. And best of luck to all our fellow parents of diabetic children.
