Tasting Life: Finding Hope in Bitterness

🌟 Tasting Life: Finding Hope in Bitterness 🌟

I recently had the honour of hearing a winning speech at club-level Toastmasters contest by a fellow T1D parent, Dr. Michael (Ming-Tse) Tsai. Titled "Tasting Life: Finding Hope in Bitterness," his heartfelt story resonated with my husband and me. Eight years ago, Michael and his family moved from Taiwan to the US. Soon after their arrival, their journey took an unexpected turn.

Michael’s daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) after being unwell for a few days. She experienced the common symptoms of excessive thirst, frequent drinking, and vomiting. When tested, she had a blood glucose level of 325 mg/dl, more than three times higher than normal. As an ER physician, Michael was familiar with T1D, but this was different—this was his own daughter. "I fell to pieces," he confessed.

I want to share Michael’s speech as it is heartfelt and may resonate with you, too, if you and your family live with T1D. Michael and I met when he reached out to me asking to exchange ideas on how we could help within the T1D community. Michael shared with me, “There is a lot to say about T1D - knowledge, experience, emotion. As a parent, I really want the attention of the whole world here. [I want to] help the audience imagine how hard T1D is."

Like so many of our children with T1D, Michael’s daughter demonstrates incredible strength, and in his speech, Michael talks about how his daughter inspires him. Though the insulin injections hurt, she never refuses. "Her focus is on joy, not on suffering," Michael shared. The family took proactive steps, reducing her carbohydrate intake to mitigate the risk of diabetic complications.

Personally, I enjoyed how Michael poignantly described the contrast between his role as a capable physician and a vulnerable father, likening it to fire and ice. Through sorrow, self-doubt, and self-empowerment, Michael found mutual support within his family and a strong desire to give back to the T1D community.

In his words, "I feel I am obligated to tell the story of the sorrow, the self-doubt, and the mutual support within the family. I really learned a lot from the process. And the more I learned, the more I wanted to contribute back to the community. I will keep speaking up and advocate for the community."

Recently, I’ve heard from many parents of children with T1D wanting to give back, wanting to find a way to contribute and help others. There is a burst of new Facebook pages dedicated to sharing positive T1D stories of improving and normalizing blood glucose levels and managing diabetes in a way that empowers children and gives us all hope for the future. Michael’s family’s story is a beacon of hope and a call to action. Let's all support each other in the T1D community and beyond. Together, we can make a difference.

Watch Michael’s speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyifINLTpZw

Stay tuned for tomorrow, as I profile another parent contributing to the T1D community!

💪💙 #Type1Diabetes #T1D #CommunitySupport #HopeInBitterness