MKA Brothers With Diabetes Lead Fight For A Cure

The Norris family, now in Glen Ridge, lived in Montclair until 2011. They are long-term members of members of St. Cassian Church. The boys are students at Montclair Kimberly Academy.

The boys’ mother, Alisa Norris, said Jamie, 11, and Andy, 9, are active with school and sports, but Type 1 Diabetes nonetheless remains an ever-present threat to their lives.

“We can never forget that Type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening illness,” said Alisa Norris. “We must be ever vigilant and test their blood continually. Too much insulin could have catastrophic consequences. And if my children’s blood sugar drops too low in the middle of the night they could go into insulin shock. These are the difficult facts we live with every day. We know the only real answer for our children and for other children with Type 1 Diabetes is a cure.”

Jamie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of four, and he said he wants to help raise money to find a cure for all children with the disease.

“All my friends know I have diabetes and they see me testing my blood at lunchtime, at the baseball field. all the time,” said Jamie Norris. “I always have to think about it. I have to test myself about 10 times a day and be careful when I feel like my blood sugar is getting low. I would like to see a cure for me and also for all the other kids.”

This year will be the family’s sixth JDRF walk, and they have raised more than $75,000 so far. The family’s page is available at this site.

Jamie swims with the Montclair Dolphins and also plays on the Glen Ridge Baseball Travel Team.

Andy was diagnosed at the age of 3 and he acknowledges he has less patience than his brother, and sometimes he yells: “I hate diabetes!” He said he knows the disease could affect him when he gets older, especially if he does not test himself and correct his blood sugar “all the time. I wish it would just go away.”

While insulin injections or infusion allow a person with Type 1 Diabetes to stay alive, these interventions do not necessarily prevent the possibility of the disease’s serious effects, which may include kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, heart attack and stroke.

Despite diabetes, Andy swims on the Montclair Dolphins and plays soccer for SDFC soccer. He’s a standout player with the Bayern team and is in third grade at Montclair Kimberly Academy.

Both boys will be joined on the JDRF Walk by their sister, Claire, 6, and brother, Benjamin, 13, as well as their father, Toby — and dozens of friends and extended family members.

Toby Norris said he and Alisa are extremely thankful for the community support that helps Andy and Jamie live as normal lives as possible. Coaches and neighbors have learned about the disease, along with students and teachers at MKA. The nurses also help the boys every day in school. The parents also said they are thankful the support they receive from Saint Cassian Church in Upper Montclair.

“We can’t say enough about the wonderful communities in Glen Ridge and Montclair and we are thankful to them and so many others in the lives of our children,” said Alisa Norris. The family lived on Summit Avenue in Montclair until 2011.