“Crusade for a Cure” is personal to my family and many of the WEEI listeners who have participated and donated to the telethon these last three years. We have a personal connection to the American Diabetes Association ever since my son was diagnosed with diabetes in 2019. 

“After my son's life-altering diagnosis, I became passionate about using my voice to raise awareness and funds to support those affected by diabetes.”  “And therefore, I am continuing the Crusade for a Cure, and will try to earn the Red Jacket at the New England Golf Classic by raising the most dollars. I hope you will help me reach that goal.

Caleb’s Story: Something Just Isn’t Right    

In 2019, Caleb joined Edge Performance Systems in Foxboro to “put on some weight, fill out my body, and prepare for the recruiting process.” Somewhere during his junior season in 2018 though, he tore his meniscus in the right knee. During the offseason, however, the injury wasn’t getting much better, and by February 2019 Christian ended up taking Caleb to get an MRI. The family opted to repair the meniscus with surgery, hoping to be fully healed by the start of Caleb’s senior season. Caleb knew something was off though. “I felt really weird after my surgery,” he says. “Within a couple of weeks my weight had dropped from 215 to 185.” He was also having trouble seeing, had no appetite and was always thirsty. But with it being the thick of recruiting season, he had a big visit to Iowa lined up, a program with a rich history in producing quality tight ends. “So we went forward with the trip, but things only continued to get worse. I was literally peeing what felt like every five seconds and my vision was so blurred I could barely see.” Somehow Caleb made it through the recruiting visit, but by the time he got back home to Massachusetts, he had nothing left. “I had a mental breakdown, I just started crying,” he remembers. “That’s when I told my mom to take me to the hospital. I told her something just isn’t right.” AS DOCTORS RAN preliminary tests on Caleb, initial results came back showing no signs of anything unusual. “We don’t think there is anything wrong with you,” Caleb was told. Caleb’s mom, however, asked to have one more set of tests run, this time for diabetes. “Those tests came back positive and the next thing you know I am being rushed to Mass General for further testing,” Caleb says. “My initial reaction was ‘are you kidding me?’ Christian states. “We’re at Mass General trying to wrap our heads around what is going on and before you know it a nurse comes out and is giving us a crash course on diabetes, how to monitor it, what to measure, what he can eat, what he can’t… just like that our entire lives had changed.” Caleb was diagnosed with Type I diabetes, which is hereditary. Type II diabetes by comparison, is a condition that is developed over time, but can also be treated with improvements in diet, exercise, and mental health.

“I was laying there in the hospital bed and I immediately began googling ways I could still play football with Type I diabetes,” Caleb remembers. “Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears quarterback) and Mark Andrews (Baltimore Ravens tight end) both were playing in the NFL with Type I and were managing it. At that moment I knew I had to get my mind right and focus on what I had to do.”

My story as Caleb’s dad: “We went from essentially not having a care in the world to now suddenly, we have this new thing that’s forever. My mind was racing. ‘How are we going to keep him alive? ‘How is he going to keep himself alive?’ Those first nights I would go into his room every couple of hours and shake him just to make sure he was still breathing. It was definitely pretty freaking scary.”

This year, I want “Crusade for a Cure” to reach people beyond a regional fundraiser and towards my ultimate goal of a unified nationwide effort. “That’s eventually where I want it to be; “To fight diabetes -to blitz diabetes the way we need to- this has to become a coast-to-coast fundraiser.”

With WEEI and others who support my efforts, that goal could become a realization over the next few years, thanks to generous donors like you!

My goal is to raise $160K, to topple the previous record. 100% of these charitable dollars will benefit all 133 million people living with Type 1, 2, gestational and pre-diabetes!

My son has more responsibilities and has had to overcome more obstacles than I have in ten lifetimes! As his dad, I will stop at absolutely nothing to protect him. I WOULDN’T WANT to be diabetes right now. It simply can’t handle the force that comes with “Crusade for a Cure” and generous donors like YOU!

To that end, the American Diabetes Association has been a champion organization to partner with, hosting a wealth of information that -no pun intended- keeps the needle moving in the right direction to cure this deadly condition.

FOR STARTERS, since 2019, the ADA has been a part of twenty states (and Washington DC) with capped copayments on insulin, devices, or diabetes supplies. They continue to fight for the remaining states and ultimately a federal cap.

They fund transformational research and innovations to accelerate the translation of laboratory breakthroughs into clinical advances in diabetes, as well as influencing the research field. This targeted research funding strategy has allowed them to respond quickly to critical gaps while reinforcing commitment in supporting more than 200 innovative research projects each year.

Currently the ADA is funding 242 research initiatives. In 2020, amidst a global pandemic, they helped publish the Health Equity Bill of Rights, which envisions a future without unjust health disparities. This breakthrough bill ensures the 133+ million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes, along with the millions more who are at high risk for diabetes will receive equal access to their most basic of human rights -their health- no matter race, income, zip code, age, education or gender. Diabetes is not a condition that only targets Baby Boomers. Approximately 283,000 youth under the age 20 are estimated to have diagnosed diabetes. And annually, more children in America are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes than cancer.

“Education is only the first part of this battle,” he emphasizes. “We haven’t even gotten into the costs yet”. In recent years the cost of insulin has risen making it very difficult for some to pay for the necessary medication. Diabetes medication has increased 300% over the last 15 years. 

This is why I started the Crusade for a Cure and will continue it to support the work of the American Diabetes Association. 

“They truly are the gold standard.”

Please make a charitable donation here and join us in the nationwide fight to raise awareness and funds!