DYF Alumni Celebrate 50 Years of Living Well with Diabetes

The 50-year celebrants are Nancy Crane, Debbie Sivula, Monica Chan, Christina Chandler, & Merilee Silverstein. Our 49er is Mark Weddle. We did have a speical guest: Melanie, CDE, RN from Omnipod Pumps. Melanie was our “official” photographer and enjoyed listening to our stories.

It was truly great to see & share how well we all have succeeded in our professional and personal lives.  We shared stories about our ourselves, stories of how old we were when diagnosed with diabetes, what happened shortly thereafter, and when we started going to camp, description of our careers, pump stories and how we each got started on a pump, and any of the usual and customary challenges in life.

The other common thread all of us former campers, CIT’s, & staff have- other than diabetes Type 1- was our experiences at Camp Whitaker & Bearskin Meadow Camp. Doc (Dr. Mary Olney) and Ellen (Dr. Ellen Simpson) strongly influenced & educated us that we are NOT DIABETIC but a person who just happens to be insulin-challenged! They imparted that we are a person first and we wear many different hats in our lives. 2 of the 5 of us are also breast cancer surviors, and having diabetes is a snap compared to breast cancer!

Just like many of today’s families, when I was newly diagnosed, my parents could only think about what I could not do then and in the future; and then they sent me to camp (Bearskin Meadow Camp). The year was 1962, and that summer was the start of so many summers and years of fun, education, making life-long friends, and being taught how to live a full and enriched life. I am a mom, (I delivered both of my children while on an insulin pump 28 years ago), a wife, an aspiring private pilot- I have taken flying lessons from a camper dad-, a golfer- not quite ready for the LPGA though , a Practice Administrator, CPC & COSC (Certified Professional Coder and Certified Orthopaedic Surgery Coder), community volunteer & Board of Director member with DYF for many, many years, and formerly a licensed FIFA referee and Referee Co-ordinator for our local youth soccer athletic league.

I am a person who just happens to have diabetes Type 1 but thanks to my parents’ support and sending me to camp, and the continual support from my family & husband and DYF, I live a very robust and full life with NO COMPLICATIONS! 

-Merilee Silverstein (Diagnosed 05/31/1961, Camper, CIT, Staff, Nutritionist, DYF Board Member)