Hi, my name is Adam November, and I work as a community psychiatric nurse on the South Side of Chicago. Working in community mental health is not for everyone; you have to have passion and heart for this work to keep coming back day after day. For more than 4 years, I have worked with Jocelynn Carey, a kind, thoughtful, humorous and sassy human being. Jocelynn is an Occupational Therapist, helping clients gain life skills for independent living. Our days are long and difficult, but seeing her is always a bright spot, putting a smile on my face. We keep eachother going with humor, sharing our successes, and venting on the many roadblocks that are inevitable in our work.

Jocelynn was born with diabetes, so she has struggled with balancing blood sugar her life. This makes her a unique teacher for our clients learning to manage their own diabetes, but also presents challenges for taking care of herself. Working in the community with sometimes unpredicatble people means that there is no set time for lunch or even a snack. Add work stress and driving all day, she has to do whatever she can to avoid her blood sugar going too high or too low.

Earlier this year, Jocelynn received a call that she was waiting for. She could take part in a study using stem cells to build a functioning pancreas to produce her own insulin! She had the surgery in February and has a way to go toward full recovery. While she is starting to produce insulin, her body is still in shock, so it is unpredictable and she can still have extreme highs and lows.

She took some time off work to immediately recover from surgery but needed to return to work to pay her bills. She is often exhausted, but you would not know from her good attitude and infectious spirit. Due to her haphazard insulin production, she currently requires a pump for most of this year, which costs nearly $1000 a month and is not covered by insurance until she hits her $6500 deductible.

This is the reason for my ask. If you can help someone who gives so much (and would never ask for herself), it will reduce a huge burden off her already full plate.

Thank you for hearing her story and for whatever help you can share!