Rock Stars In Real Life - Dr. William Tamborlane

When I was a little girl, I had posters of rock stars and teen sensations (oh my, did I really just say 'teen sensations - I am so OLD!), adorning my bedroom walls.

Then, when I hit my teen years, I became just too cool for those types of things and instead, created an idea that I could somehow style my bedroom to look like a New York City loft with minimalist decor.  Deep inside, however, I still pined away for Prince, Thomas C. Howell and Kirk Cameron. 

Now, here I am with two little girls that are back into the posters and teen sensations (gah!  There I go again!) and while I still dream of minimalist decor, I am quite clearly living in a four-bedroom traditional colonial in the suburbs with a bunch of family stuff.

However, I am still a fan of a certain set of rock stars and I would even be tempted to hang up pictures if I had a few.  The only difference between the little girl version of me and the adult me is that now my true affection has shifted to the doctors and scientists that could (and WILL!) one day cure my children. 

Those wonderful people are my own personal set of rock stars. 

I finally got to meet one of my beloved rock stars in person on Friday night at a JDRF VIP Meet and Greet Reception.  Seriously sending HUGE thank yous to the staff at JDRF that so graciously offered up an invite to our family.  I hope that on the outside, I looked like a normal parent and not the crazy fan that I felt myself to be!!!!

The person that I wanted to meet most was Dr. William Tamborlane, MD at Yale Medical.




Let me give you a little of the back story of why I am personally such a fan.  If you read our oldest daughter's diagnosis story, than you know that I was given a precious few months to absorb yet another diagnosis and to try to stop the diabetes train from crashing.

Part of that attempt, was a phone call that I placed to Dr. Tamborlane.

Now, maybe it was from the complete brazeness that I exhibited or the fact that I name-dropped extensively, but somehow, I managed to get a line directly to Dr. Tamborlane.

This nice man, actually tool my phone call and chatted with me about my daughter's case.  Not just one time, but several times over the course of a few days. 

What's more is that I was left with the distinct impression that he cared.  He really cared about the fate of my child... a child that he had not met.

On Friday, I was given the chance to say thank you directly to him.

And happily, I had to get in line with many others that probably wanted to do the same.  One couple that I met had the honor of having their daughter as a patient of Dr. Tamborlane.  They reminisced about the good 'ole days and cited the continued hope, even though their daughter was grown and living on her own, of having a cure.

Dr. Tamborlane still represented that hope to them, to me and to all of the other people waiting to say 'hello' and to shake his hand (or hug as I love to do!).

We all know that neither Dr. Tamborlane nor anyone else on the planet, could stop that type 1 diabetes train from crashing.  It still did and our second diagnosis was sealed into fate.

But after talking once again to Dr. Tamborlane and then the following day, to listen to his presentation on the history of type 1 diabetes leading up to very tangible future of the artificial pancreas, I not only have hope....

I also have a feeling that I met a person who will one day change the direction of our lives.