“We hope we celebrate a cure one day instead of getting together to raise awareness. One day, the walk will be to celebrate a cure,” Emily Sexton said. 

Sexton is the mother of three students within the North Penn School District, one being Maggie. Maggie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at only 1 year old and ever since then, they have been walking with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) for a cure. This past Sunday was the annual walk, falling two days before World Diabetes Day.

“The money that is raised goes to support research for a cure and advancements in technology. The most important thing that is here in the now is the advancements in technology like the Dexcom that she wears and the pump that she wears. Money goes towards finding those cutting-edge technology things that make living with Type 1 easier,” Sexton explained. 

Not only does the walk fundraise for technological advancements and equipment, but it also creates a sense of community for kids with Type 1 Diabetes.

“The walk is also special because all of our Type 1 friends are there. Even though everyone has their own teams, we see everybody and we are with everybody there for the day,” Sexton said.

The teams of the walk never seem divided, as the environment is comforting and gives kids with Type 1 Diabetes a chance to make new friends and see that they are not alone. It is inspiring to see the amount of people who come together solely because of a diagnosis.

“Maggie was diagnosed when she was one. She was wearing diapers and all of the sudden she was soaking through them. Going to the bathroom so much is one of the signs and symptoms of undiagnosed Type 1. So is nausea, vomiting, and a fruity-smelling breath,” Sexton explained, “We took her to the doctors and they said she was in DKA which is Diabetic Ketoacidosis. For some reason, her body mistakenly attacked her pancreas and the pancreas turns all the food you eat into energy. Maggie’s pancreas stopped working and we were in the hospital for a few days.”

JDRF and all of its supporters have played a crucial role in the development of research efforts for Type 1 Diabetes. Every year, the families seem to be getting more excited and more hopeful that a cure will arise in the near future.

“When Maggie was diagnosed in 2015, we were told that they were close to a cure. Every year they get a little closer and a little closer. I think this is the closest they have ever been and it’s pretty amazing what is going on now. Hopefully, we will see a cure in this lifetime, but in the meantime, all the technology that makes it easier to live with Type 1 is extremely important,” Sexton said.

Along with the walk helping the Sexton family have a sense of community with the diagnosis, North Penn also does an amazing job at supporting Maggie and her needs. 

“Her nurses are amazing [at Gwyn-Nor.] We are very lucky in that they support us in every way that Maggie needs help. She has a medical plan and school follows it. Her nurses are very attentive, amazing, and knowledgeable in Type 1. Maggie isn’t the only kid with Type 1 in Gwyn-Nor or the district, but it’s helpful that they are so knowledgeable with that. It’s a big deal and school is supportive of Filly,” Sexton explained.

You may be thinking, who is Filly? She’s Maggie’s Diabetic Alert Dog. 

“She alerts to us and tells us when she knows I’m high or low. Then I check my finger and if she’s right we reward her,” Maggie Sexton explained.

Along with Filly helping Maggie, she also lets Maggie’s family know when she has high or low blood sugar levels.

“Filly’s able to determine when Maggie’s blood sugar is out of range. Out of range for Maggie is under 80 or above 180. Filly alerts to those and we are able to either treat Maggie when she’s low or give her insulin when she’s high. And she’s alerting right now,” Sexton said as Filly alerted. 

Filly is a huge help to the family and may be able to join the North Penn community by accompanying Maggie in school.

“She wants to eventually bring her to school, so Maggie is taking on the responsibility of being her handler,” Sexton said, “Filly’s a service dog like Pepper is a service dog. When they are working you can’t distract or pet them because that would take away from them doing their jobs.”

Knowing how to see the signs and symptoms of T1D may be easy for Filly, but may not be as easy for people who don’t know anyone with the diagnosis. In honor of National Diabetes Day, Emily Sexton has provided a list of the most common symptoms of T1D that everyone should know:

• Extreme thirst
• Excessive urination
• Flu-like symptoms
• Fruity smelling breath
• Nausea/vomiting
• Unexplained weight loss

“Knowing the signs save lives because if Type 1 is left untreated, it is deadly,” Sexton said.

For more information, visit JDRF’s website at https://www.jdrf.org/. To follow Maggie’s journey, follow @bemaggiestrong on Instagram.