A Mother's Perspective: Polishing Off Juvenile Diabetes

Help Find Where the Cure Is Hiding

Independent Silpada Designs Representative Kelly Snider first heard the news and raced down the hall to tell her family. Kelly always felt there was a deeper meaning for her involvement with Silpada Designs, something unexplainable. But, it all became clear when she sat down with her three children and husband to share the good news – Silpada Designs wanted to help find a cure for juvenile diabetes.

Amidst the excitement, Kelly's youngest son, Matthew, looked up at her and begged, "Mommy, please ask them to find where the cure is hiding soon. I am tired of having diabetes." Through the words of a five-year-old, Silpada Designs began to truly understand the significance of the Polishing Off Juvenile Diabetes Campaign.

When Silpada Designs first announced its partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the disease was a new concept for many Silpada Designs Representatives, but not for Kelly. She was all too familiar with the disease and the devastating effects it can have on a family.

“My husband, Mark, and I have three beautiful children: Makaela (12), McCord (10) and Matthew (7),” said Kelly. “ It was just after Matthew’s first birthday when we noticed something was wrong. Matthew had lost weight over a few days and was downing large glasses of water in seconds.”

Kelly and Mark were no strangers to these warning signs. A year earlier, their middle child, McCord, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the young age of two. Recognizing the warning signs, they suddenly realized their world was overturned for the second time.

“To most people, my boys look like any other children. You’ll see them outside running, smiling, laughing and so much more,” said Kelly. “But what goes on when the doors are closed is a different story. We prick their tiny fingers six to eight times every day and all night to monitor their blood sugars. If they’re too low, they could have a seizure or even worse, not survive. The real possibility of what their future holds if we don’t find a cure terrifies me.”

“I originally joined Silpada Designs because I was looking for something stress free and fun,” said Kelly. “I now realize that the opportunity didn’t just land in my lap. It happened for a reason. I hope it’s a cure. I think my son, Matthew, said it best when I told him about Silpada Designs’ $100,000 donation to JDRF at its 2005 National Conference. His face lit up and he said, ‘Wow! I sure wish they would hurry and find the cure, they are wasting a lot of money hiding it.’ That single statement captures the innocence of a child having to cope with this disease and the importance of the Polishing Off Juvenile Diabetes Campaign.”