Bonnie & Terry Jackson’s Story
It was 1978 when Bonnie and Terry Jackson learned that their eldest daughter, Joanna, had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), at the age of 5.
Joanna was diagnosed before advances in diabetes technology had been made, before blood sugar monitors were available necessitating frequent testing of to determine if her blood sugar was high or low.
Managing T1D is a round-the-clock balancing act with life-threatening complications always in the background. Every day is a series of decisions around insulin injections, food intake, exercise, blood sugar levels, and stress, with no break in vigilance.
Bonnie and Terry remember the months and years that followed, caring for their young daughter, while raising Joanna’s two younger sisters at the same time.
Today Joanna is a busy mom with two young children of her own. She has a rewarding career as a teacher, and is involved with many activities and programs in the community. However, she still struggles to keep her blood sugars in a healthy range; after decades of living with T1D, the daily routine remains unchanged.
Over the years, Bonnie and Terry have participated in many different charitable opportunities but JDRF has always been the organization that benefits the most from their generosity as volunteers and philanthropists. From galas, walks, rides, to board activities and major gifts fundraising, the Jacksons have been involved and have supported all of JDRF’s programs. Planned Giving is now augmenting their annual cash contributions, and they are members of the JDRF BETA Society.
But finding a cure for T1D remains their greatest goal. It is for this reason that the Jacksons became members of the T1D Fund, with a donation of $500K USD. Terry has now taken the lead as Volunteer Chair of the T1D Fund Pillar for the Campaign to Accelerate.
JDRF thanks Bonnie and Terry for their continued commitment to JDRF and for becoming champions of the T1D Fund. It is their hope to one day ‘put JDRF out of business’ when a cure for T1D is found. Their support will bring us closer to that day, “…And what a celebration that will be,” promises Bonnie.
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