24 Jun Carrie and Eli Ashley – A Parent’s Story
A Parent’s Story: 
On Eli’s 5th birthday, April 5, 2000 we brought him to what should have been a routine 5 year check-up. We had some concerns with Eli being constantly thirsty, having frequent bed-wetting incidents, and being very grumpy. Our pediatrician decided to do a urine test. Based on the results, she sent us to the hospital for bloodwork immediately. When the test results came back, that’s when our lives changed forever. Eli was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
We were very fortunate Eli’s diagnosis was caught early, he could have ended up very sick in the hospital within a few days. We spent the next 3 days in the hospital learning how to keep Eli alive and healthy. Before this, we knew very little about Type
1 Diabetes. The amount of information and education we received in order to manage this disease was overwhelming.
Type 1 Diabetes is a complex autoimmune disease that requires constant attention. A 5 year old child doesn’t understand why they have to prick their fingers and receive insulin injections several times a day. We often had to restrain Eli while he screamed and cried. The emotional and physical impact on our family was immense.
T1D didn’t stop Eli. He started kindergarten that Fall and began playing basketball, baseball and soccer. He also made the All-star baseball team and AAU Basketball teams several years in a row. He was very competitive and had so much passion for the game. He was the kid all the parents talked about. We loved watching Eli play sports, however we were constantly worried about his diabetes.
At age 10, Eli began attending Diabetes camps and was also a camp counselor at The Barton Center VT Overnight Camp.
This will be our 9th year participating in the SLAMT1D VT Summer Classic. We share in their mission to broaden T1D awareness and connect the T1D community. This is #WhyWePlay.
Check out and support the Breaking Ballers, as they look to become a first time tournament champion in SLAMT1D’s 9th Annual Vermont Summer Classic WIFFLE Ball Tournament on June 28-29, 2019 at Little Fenway, Essex VT.