HIGHLAND, Utah — A light show in one Highland neighborhood hopes to bring not only holiday spirit, but awareness to a good cause.
‘Christmas Lights for a Cure’ was organized by Brandi Stewart, the mother of a Type 1 Diabetic.
Her daughter Katherine was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was five years old.
Now at age 18, she helps her dad set up the light show at her home each year, putting on the event to raise money towards JDRF, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
“No one really sees the daily battle that I feel like having diabetes is because every day is different,” explained Stewart, “One day, I might go low several times and then the next day I go high the whole day and there's no change.”
Stewart said over the years, technology has made a huge difference in her daily life when it comes to tracking and managing her blood sugars.
“It obviously helps make my life and many other diabetics lives easier,” she said.
Brandi describes one of the newer, sometimes life-saving devices that has come out since Katherine was diagnosed.
“So she wears what’s called a CGM. It’s a ‘continuous glucose monitor,’ and it goes on her arm and it updates her phone every five minutes to tell us her blood sugar,” said Brandi, “And I also have the app on my phone and my husband has it so we can track her even when we're not with her.”
Market Director for the Mountain West Chapter of JDRF Mike Somers said events like this one go a long way in helping with research for Type 1 Diabetes.
“Everything that you probably saw that Katherine was wearing is because of great events like this, of families that use every effort they can to fund cures and to raise money,” said Somers.
The light show will continue shining each night at 11671 Granite Flats Road in Highland, Utah.
You can donate through Venmo @CLFAC or online HERE.
