On 12/23/24, our family’s world flipped upside down.

We’ve always been very private online with our kids, and honestly, we haven’t had the emotional bandwidth to explain to every family member, friend and acquaintance what happened; but a glimmer of hope has presented itself and the need for community support has become impossible to ignore, so it’s time to share.

The 23rd started like any other pre-Christmas rush. I was running errands while Nick stayed home with Taryn, who was sick. Not long after I got to the store, Nick called, worried about how heavily she was breathing. I tried to stay calm (kids breathe fast when sick) but something felt off. I told him if her color changed to call 911.

I raced home. We live 25 minutes from anything. When I arrived, her blood pressure was dangerously high and her responsiveness was fading. We called 911 immediately. Those 20 minutes felt endless. The paramedics thought it was croup and asked if we wanted to drive her ourselves. Every instinct in my body screamed no. I insisted they take her.

Once in the ambulance, protocol required a finger stick. Her blood sugar was over 700. I was in shock. She wasn’t diabetic… or so we thought. They immediately called for an emergency transport to Children’s Hospital an hour away.

We were rushed straight to the ICU. Taryn was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). She had Type 1 Diabetes; unknown to us, with an A1C over 17, severe acidosis, kidney failure, Influenza B, and RSV. A perfect storm. With zero family history, our lives changed in an instant.

Like many parents, I battled the crushing “how did I miss this?” spiral. That kind of self-blame cuts deep. It has taken real healing to forgive myself. Through all of it, Taryn has been unbelievably strong. Our family has cried, learned, and adapted together as we navigate a new normal.

While we are deeply grateful for modern medicine keeping her alive, we are also committed to exploring every responsible option to support her long-term health and quality of life. After extensive research, we’ve decided to pursue stem cell therapy aimed at immune modulation for Type 1 Diabetes. This treatment is not covered by insurance and comes with significant costs for care and travel.

We’ve set up a GoFundMe to help support Taryn’s treatment. We promise to share every step openly; including clinics, costs, and outcomes, so this information can help others walking a similar road.

If you’re able to donate or simply share, we are deeply grateful. A little from many truly makes a difference. Thank you for taking the time to hear our story and for holding our family in your hearts.

With love,

Laura, Nick & Taryn