PEOPLE SPOTLIGHT

Jessica Perez -- Wonder Mom

Real Stories About Real People.

Jessica is the mother of both Lucas and Nicholas. Lucas is the big brother – all of four years old. Nicholas is the two-year-old baby brother. On May 10, 2007, their lives changed forever. Lucas, who was 3 at the time, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

The diagnosis surprised everyone. The thought of everything that had to be done was overwhelming. Big changes were on the horizon – blood glucose readings, injections, daily food and blood glucose logs, having to weigh and count every single carb that Lucas ate – you name it. Jessica was overwhelmed, but knew she had to pull it together.

She was the mother. The family, Jessica, Anthony (the father), Lucas and Nicholas had to make some immediate changes. They loved the outdoors, but felt limited in what they could do at first because of the diagnosis. “The multiple daily injections were tough on everyone,” Jessica commented. “At first, I felt that three-year-olds should be carefree, and that Lucas was limited. It broke my heart.”

It wasn’t long after the diagnosis that Lucas was placed on insulin pump therapy. The lack of daily injections relieved some of Jessica’s stress, but she still lives the day-to-day uncertainty of being a mother of a little boy with diabetes. She recently said, “I am an emotional rollercoaster all day waiting, every 2 hours, for his teacher to call me with his BG numbers. If the numbers are good 80-180, I’m good. If they are 70 or below or 200 plus, I’m crazy, as if my heart is being poked and moved around, and it just doesn’t feel good…like pouring alcohol on an open wound!”

But, believe it or not, none of this stops Jessica. She and her family are very involved on a local level with the ADA. She put together a walk team – Team Lucas – for StepOut: Walk to Fight Diabetes. She will be assisting Miami’s StepOut team with the enhancement of the Youth Zone area – making it bigger and better for kids with diabetes. She also acts as a representative for the local ADA office in Miami-Dade County, has volunteered for several speaking opportunities and has participated in various other diabetes-related events throughout the county.

Most recently, they received complimentary tickets from the ADA to attend the Jonas Brothers Concert in South Florida – where they were able to attend as a family.

The staff of the ADA’s Miami-Dade County office would like to congratulate Jessica for all her hard work, dedication and especially her enthusiasm. Happy Mother’s Day to Jessica and all other mothers out there like her – you deserve it!