This Saturday morning, thousands of people are expected at Lewis & Clark Landing along the Omaha riverfront. They will walk to raise awareness and money to benefit JDRF. They are hoping medical experts soon find a cure for type 1 diabetes.
Last year Omaha mom, Jill Rotella, created the #JDRF3AM challenge. She's doing it again this year and hopes it spreads.
She did a Facebook Live video at 3 a.m. to invite people into her home and see what type 1 diabetes really looks like.
She starts the video, saying, "it's 3 a.m. and once again I'm doing the 3 a.m. challenge. I do this to bring you into my home to show you part of my nightly routine."
Rotella's son Louie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 8 years old. Nearly a decade later it's still difficult. Louie was born with Down syndrome.
"Cognitively Louie doesn't understand the maintenance that goes into caring for his disease so his disease is my disease and my husband's disease," Rotella said, "without a cure, Louie can never be independent and he talks about being independent all the time and moving out and going to college."
Louie wears a continuous glucose monitor that sends information to his parents' phone. Rotella said it will alert her to a problem, but she still wakes up at least once to check his blood sugar level.
Gabby Mormino's 13-year-old son Marty also wears a continuous glucose monitor. She thanks JDRF for helping fund the research that went into that technology. Still, without a cure, there's still worry for these moms.
"Sometimes it's hard to let them walk out the door and go to their friends or go to the pool alone, but you figure out a way to do it," Mormino said.
The #JDRF3AM challenge video encourages people to donate to JDRF and share their own stories.
You can learn more about JDRF, its weekend walk and how to donate by clicking here.
KMTV 3 News Now is a proud media sponsor of the JDRF One Walk. Anchor Jennifer Griswold will be emceeing the kick-off to the walk.
