A Note to Family and Friends

Family and Friends,

Please read this message, you needn’t read anything else on my blog, I know some past posts haven’t been the most friendly but this is different. This one is from Crystal and I both. With Sariah’s birthday rounding the corner, Crystal and I would like to take this opportunity to share an exciting idea we have had.

This year gave us a monumental surprise, when, on May 4 our dear Sariah was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It has been a significant change in lifestyle for not only Sariah but also for all of us, including you, as her support system. Please don’t diminish your contribution to the system, we all work together to ensure her safety and wise choices not only in relation to the disease but to growing up and becoming the smart and beautiful young lady we all know she will be. From performing finger-sticks and calculating the required insulin after meals to her classmates at school walking with her to the nurses office; everyone has their role in this.

With Sariah’s consent we would like to ask, that for her upcoming birthday, in lieu of gifts you make a donation to either the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) or to the Monroe Carroll Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Links will be at the bottom of this letter. Please don’t go out of your way to make a larger donation than what a gift would have cost, any amount will help the cause. If you weren’t aware, the JDRF and the Children’s Hospital were the organizations that donated much of the information, supplies, and gifts that we received in the hours and months since diagnosis.

The mission of JDRF: JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, policy influence, and a working plan to better treat, prevent, and eventually cure T1D. If you would like to donate to JDRF you may do so at JDRF.org, under the “Get Involved” tab, then click “Ways to Donate”. If you choose to do a “Tribute Donation” we ask that you select the Middle Tennessee Chapter in honor of Sariah.

Who hasn’t heard of Vanderbilt? They are a committed and focused team of medical persons devoted to delivering the highest quality care to children, creating a special environment for children and their families, and to serve as a resource that is responsive to the children, the families, and to the community. If you would like to donate to Vanderbilt you may do so at ChildrensHospital.Vanderbilt.org. Near the bottom of the page is a link called “Giving”, and then on the right side of the page you select “Give Now”.

While we have your attention, we would like to tell you about something more fun. Each of the girls has an email address that they will gain access to when they are older. It seemed like a fun idea to send an email to them as a sort of time capsule from past versions of ourselves. You can send messages to SariahDarks2008@gmail.com and SophiaDarks2014@gmail.com. On our honor, we won’t read your messages, I log in routinely to ensure they aren’t overrun by spam but I don’t read messages, I want the girls to be able to be the first to read those words.

Thank you for your continued support. With love; Matt, Crystal, Sariah, and Sophia.