To cap off the Diabetes Community Care Team’s (DCCT) fundraiser this year, longtime volunteer Jack Rising will be riding his bike approximately 310 miles nonstop from Seattle to Eugene on Sunday, May 22.
Rising plans to leave Seattle at 4 a.m. and hopes to arrive in Eugene around midnight.
The DCCT is a Eugene-based nonprofit that provides support through various programs for those with Type 1 diabetes. The event to cap off their fundraiser this year is called Pedal for Pat, to recognize long-time DCCT client, Patricia Price, who lived 75 years with T1 diabetes.
What stood out to those who knew Price was her attitude and outlook on life. Rising’s bike ride is a symbol of what people with T1 diabetes can accomplish, as Rising was diagnosed with the disease when he was 21 months old.
“I do hope that it is inspirational to many people,” Rising said. “I’m simultaneously acknowledging the many challenges that come with living day to day with this disease.”
Rising has been training extensively for what will be a grueling day of physical activity come May 22.
Rising is a lifelong cyclist, but since beginning medical school, his bike riding soon consisted of just commuting from campus and using a virtual platform for bike riding called Swift.
With an over-300 mile ride on the horizon, Rising has committed much of his free time in the past few months to training, putting all his energy into volume riding and getting as many miles in as possible. He rode 300 miles last week and plans to continue this weekly goal until the race, including a practice Seattle to Portland ride.
“Were I forced to do so, I could go out and ride over 300 miles right now,” Rising said. “It’s more for my confidence, like past 150 miles at this point in time is still uncharted territory for me so how my body will react to that is something I don’t want to be a surprise on the day of the event.”
Before Rising became a board member of the DCCT when he moved to Portland for medical school, he was a part of the DCCT’s Buddies Empower Teach and Achieve (BETA) mentorship program.
Mentors in the BETA program are paired up with people with T1 diabetes to provide support and encouragement through the challenges of the disease.
After having four to five different clients through the BETA program, Rising was introduced to Price by Julie Dewsnup, the founder of the DCCT.
Following the introduction, Rising would go on to complete routine parts of being a BETA mentor. This includes helping Price with her insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor once or twice a week.
After helping Price with those necessities, which only took about 20 minutes, Rising and Price would go on to talk for hours.
“I’d look forward to my days with Pat because I’d go over there and help her out, make sure she was all good to go, and then we’d just chat about anything,” Rising said.
The two could relate with each other in terms of living in Eugene, while showing interest in each other’s hobbies like Rising’s bike riding and Price’s knitting.
Rising admits that while he was supposed to be the mentor, Price was mentoring him as well, imparting wisdom and a positive attitude in him.
“Pat was so motivating to him (Rising) and to everyone, so he helped her and she motivated him too and they developed quite the bond,” Dewsnup said.
Price passed away last year after living with T1 diabetes for over seven decades and living through a time where there was very little support and resources for people with the disease.
In 1946, Price was diagnosed with T1 diabetes at age 13 and was told by her doctor that she wouldn’t make it to 21. Dewsnup met Price in knitting class, as she was the instructor, and learned how important knitting was to Price, saying “it saved my life.” Her passion for knitting was something she needed to distract her from her diagnosis.
“She had such a positive attitude,” Dewsnup said. “Not letting her diabetes control her… and was just great to everyone around her.”
What is frequently misunderstood about T1 diabetes is how often the condition has to be monitored. It isn’t as simple as some people think, as things as small as stress, food type and exercise vary insulin dosages.
“The biggest thing is unpredictability,” Tian Walker, a board member for the DCCT who’s been living with T1 for 14 years, said. “It doesn’t operate like a lot of other illnesses in that it’s not linear.”
High attention is required to monitor T1 diabetes with how dynamic it can be. There are several daily factors that influence how much insulin a person may need at any moment.
There’s no accurate formula for people to follow; it’s just a feeling out process every day.
“I have the luxury of a continuous glucose monitor that gives me readings every 5 minutes and an insulin pump,” Rising said. “There are many people that might not be able to afford their own insulin.”
A large part of the DCCT’s fundraiser is dedicated to helping those who can’t buy their own insulin, as the cost is shocking considering people require it to survive.
The monthly cost of insulin vials ranges from $50 to over $1,000.
The DCCT also hopes to put money toward community education about the disease and an up-and-coming, three-day program called Pat’s Place, where newly diagnosed people can get extensive education on how to manage diabetes independently while living a happy life.
Rising hopes that his bike ride will inspire others with T1 diabetes in terms of what they can accomplish.
“That’s part of what Jack is doing is so incredible,” Walker said. “He is demonstrating that despite the fact that diabetes will throw curveballs left and right, you can have a plan, and you can be set up in such a way you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to.”
Price was also known for her simple sayings including “What you see is what you get” and “Change your thinking; change your life.”
These sayings, known as Pat’s pearls, relate to some of Rising’s fondest memories of her. Come May 22, he’ll have the chance to commemorate Price and the pearls she was known for.
If you wish to donate to the Pedal for Pat fundraiser visit https://dcct.life/ways-to-give/.
