On April 2nd, 10-year-old Max hopped in the car with his mom, Aimee, who after three surgeries to remove breast cancer cells, was heading to her first radiation appointment. While there, Max was so thirsty, he drank a half gallon of water. Not entirely crazy for a energetic, activity-loving kid, right? By the next morning, Max was sick, sometimes sleeping, sometimes vomiting, sometimes dazedly wandering around. Mom and Dad (Drew) hoped it was just a stomach bug but something felt off.

By the middle of the following night, it was clear this was something more. At the emergency room in Hayward, WI, Max was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He was in diabetic ketoacidosis and his blood sugar was over 700 and he was nearly comatose. He was bought by ambulance to St. Mary's pediatric ICU in Duluth, MN, at times unresponsive.

A full day of fluids and insulin later, he was conscious and able to answer that the doctors use to check for brain damage. Thankfully, there was none. After three more nights in the hospital, he was stable enough to return home.

Thus began the terrifying, exhausting, and expensive journey with Type 1 Diabetes. While insurance partially covers some of the diabetes medications, as many know from the news, it is still extremely pricey. It also doesn't cover any of the associated costs of having the disease, such as gas for the many appointments, pump supplies, etc.

My name is Juli Hamilton and I'm asking for help for my nephew, Max, so that his diagnosis won't be cost prohibitive to his childhood. Max is such a sweet boy and brings so much light into the lives of everyone he knows, most especially his parents, Aimee and Drew, and his sister, Caitie. Thank you to everyone who can pitch in!