When our eight-year-old Lily was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) a little over a year ago, I grieved the potential losses to her freedom, such as her being able to go on a month-long backpacking trip for fear her insulin might spoil.
And then at a weekend camping trip with Diabetes Youth Families (DYF), I met outdoor adventurers, Patrick Mertes and Michael Shelver, who proceeded to blast the lid off presumptions about what people with Type 1 Diabetes can and cannot do.
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Before the planet went on lockdown, my British writer friend Claire invited some people to her home in north Marin, California, for a private concert with the world-renown, hugely talented flamenco guitarist, Ricardo Garcia. Although my friend’s home was an almost two-hour drive from my place, I grabbed the husband and kids and got my butt there.
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When Nem (his nickname) was born 11 years ago in Hanoi, Vietnam, his mother, Phuong Nguyen, did not realize the extent of challenges he would present in her future. Like most mothers, she simply fell in love, and was prepared to give him everything, which, as it turns out, is exactly what she would do. [Read more…]
Ponheary Ly’s father was a well-respected high school teacher in Siem Reap, Cambodia, until the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975 and began killing citizens showing any form of culture or intelligence in a massive genocide that didn’t end until 1979. [Read more…]
Le Thi My Huong has a searing memory of leaving Vietnam when she was five. “I remember a white car and looking out the back window and watching my mother cry hysterically as we drove away.” [Read more…]