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Happy Father's Day!
In honor of this Father's Day, we are celebrating our founder, and a phenomenal father of three, Chris Dudley! Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 16, Chris is living proof that type 1 diabetes does not prevent you from reaching your dreams!
Happy Father's Day!
When Chris was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, his main concern whether or not he could keep playing basketball. By properly managing his diabetes and a lot of hard work, Chris continued to play high school basketball, went on to attend and play at Yale University for four years, and became the first person with type 1 diabetes to play in the NBA. Chris played professional basketball for 16 years, spending time with the Cavs, Suns, Knicks, Nets and Trail Blazers. Representing a whole community of people with type 1 diabetes, Chris has been an amazing role model for young athletes with T1D.
GIVING BACK
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In 1995, Chris and his wife, Chris Love Dudley created the Chris Dudley Foundation, the host of the Chris Dudley Basketball Camp. CDBC will celebrate the 25th year of camp in 2020 and Chris' work has impacted thousands of children living with T1D. Chris has also worked with a plethora of organizations dedicated to advocating, supporting, and educating within the diabetes community. Through involvement such as serving on boards and speaking at events, Chris has stayed an active voice in the diabetes community. In 2003, he traveled to Washington DC to raise awareness with the JDRF Children's Congress. Additionally, Chris has worked with the American Diabetes Association, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Center in Portland, Oregon, just to name a few!
Chris and his wife have raised three children, Charles, Emma, and Sam! While balancing work, involvement in the diabetes community, and sports, Chris has always made his family a priority! In 2013, Chris was honored as an ADA Father of the Year.
I
n
an interview with t1everydaymagic
, Chris gives his advice to dads of kids with type 1 diabetes, saying "Understand that diabetes is frustrating. When tests are high or low, it can be easy to get discouraged. It doesn't mean that anyone is doing anything wrong. In those hard moments, think about how you can support your kid. Let them know there's so much more to life than diabetes. If you can understand the things they like to do, encourage them to stick with it. Having something fun and enjoyable in their lives can really help kids get through the tough times."
Chris, we wish you a wonderful Father's Day! Thank you for all you do!
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Past CDBC camper and counselor,
Christian S. became a father of two this year! In February, Christian and his wife, Jocelyn welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Jonas, making them a family of four!
Congratulations and Happy Father's Day, Christian!
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7/27 - ADA Tour De Cure
7/28-8/2 Chris Dudley Basketball Camp
9/22 - Portland JDRF OneWalk
10/5 - Diabuddies Dash 5k/10k
Stay tuned for more information!
DAYS UNTIL CDBC 2019
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CDBC CAMPER 6 YEARS
Favorite Camp Memory?
I always enjoyed Pass the Ball and the talent show. Pass the Ball is such a unique experience for me because people rarely let themselves been witnessed like that in public, and it creates a deep bond. I think back on those evenings and remember an almost sacred feeling of joy and compassion.
The talent show was always fun for me for two reasons: The diabetes-centered comedy and performing some of the martial arts routines I learned growing up.
Did you learn anything at camp about your di
abetes?
Yes. Working with the doctors on adjusting my insulin with exercise helped me a great deal with using exercise to help control my diabetes at home. It might seem simple, but a week of working closely with such a supportive team at camp showed me at least once a year that precise control was always possible. If I had a bad day with my blood sugar, it was ok, because I knew that I could make tomorrow a good day if I wanted to. Hope can go a long way with diabetes care.
Do you stay in touch with anyone you met
through camp?
Most of my contact with friends from camp occurs through social media. Although I rarely message people directly, I enjoy hearing about all of the wonderful things happening in people's lives and realizing how having diabetes has actually elevated their success in life and their impact on their communities.
What is your advice for present or future campers?
For me, camp helped me realize that having diabetes was a blessing in disguise. I personally feel that part of the reason I needed to have that experience was because it teaches me self-control, especially when my blood sugar is bad. My advice for campers would be to live life at camp to the fullest - play hard, love harder, and learn all you can from your experience at camp. Pay close attention to how you can turn diabetes from a burden into a strength and use it to life yourself, your family, and your friends higher. Remember that the numbers and glucose readings don't define you, and you have the power within you to conquer your challenges.
Where are you now?!
After graduating high school, I tested for another blackbelt with my brother and then left to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years in New Mexico and Texas. I learned Spanish there and had wonderful experiences there that taught me beyond a doubt that God is in the details of our lives and He loves everyone deeply. I returned in 2017 and started school at Utah State University majoring in civil engineering. I got married last December and we're living the dream! Right now, we both work multiple jobs on campus and spend a lot of time keeping high grades for our scholarships. I am a tutor at the engineering tutor center and work quite a bit in transportation research with one of my professors. This summer I have an internship with one of the local municipalities here in Utah and continue with transportation research.
Besides that, I am proud to be one of "the Lucky Few!"
CALLING ALL PAST CDBC CAMPERS!
"Where Are They Now" is a monthly feature article showcasing past Chris Dudley Basketball Camp campers, now young adults with type 1 diabetes living active lives and following their dreams! We want to hear from YOU! How are you thriving with diabetes? Where has life taken you? For more information and to sign up, email Gayle Yost at
[email protected]
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www.chrisdudley.org - 503.830.0780
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