JDRF Bendigo One Walk: Walking for a world without type-1 diabetes

The Lake Weeroona JDRF Bendigo One Walk event on Sunday saw families come together from across the region, united by a common goal – to raise awareness of the disease and funds for medical research.

The Bendigo event is now in its second year and organiser Meg Guzzo said she was happy with the turnout, despite an earlier threat of severe weather. 

“The weather held off, which was really good,” she said.

Mrs Guzzo got involved with the walks after her daughter was born with type-1 diabetes. 

“She’s my inspiration,” she said.

Last year JDRF walks around the country raised more than $1 million for type-1 diabetes research, and across the globe, more than $85 million is raised annually.

While a world without type-1 diabetes is the ultimate goal, Bendigo mother Mhairi Campbell-Pollard said research had meant her son Lauchie had benefited from technological advancements in the years since his diagnosis.

“They have made it a very different experience for us,” she said at the walk on Sunday.

Eight-year-old Lauchie was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes when he was just four years old. 

Mrs Campbell-Pollard said after repeated misdiagnosis it was a horrid day when he ended up in the emergency department.

“It was the most scared I’ve ever been.”

But she said the diabetes educators they had since worked with had been amazing, as had Bendigo support group Type 1 Families Support Network.

“The group has just been an absolute godsend.”