Hannah’s Hikers walk to feel powerful. Rain or shine, this team participates in the Walk to Cure Diabetes every year, and it makes them feel as if they are doing all they can to help improve the lives of millions of people who have T1D. “We’ll do it every year, until there’s a cure,” says Zoe Francis, whose daughter Hannah was diagnosed with T1D fourteen years ago at the age of five.
The entire team remains dedicated to the event, even in the pouring rain. One year they woke up to awful weather and considered staying warm and dry at home, but forged ahead with plans to walk. “We were absolutely soaked by the end of the Walk, but we had a fantastic time and a great sense of accomplishment,” says Zoe.
For Hannahís Hikers, this spirit begins long before Walk Day. Several weeks in advance, they send out their e-newsletter asking friends and colleagues to support JDRF-funded research. “We’ve been doing the Walk for so many years that people expect my fundraising pitch. Some people have even told me that they work their Walk donation into their budgets.”
Zoe is quick to articulate her description of a hero. She says, “Any person dealing with T1D is a hero. They have to endure so much and never get a break. We must find a cure for them.”
