After spending most of his young life under the care of the amazing team at La Rabida, 19-year-old Jacob has a new challenge, adulthood. Diagnosed at age two with Type-1 Diabetes Jacob spent 42 days aboard the S.S. La Rabida inpatient unit following his initial diagnosis. Now he is about to graduate from pediatric care and move on from his La Rabida family.

“By coming to La Rabida, we learned so much about diabetes,” shared Jacob’s mother, Dominique. “They had so many people there to help us. We really were educated on what diabetes is.”

Upon arrival to La Rabida, Jacob and Dominique were introduced to the physician who would become one of Jacob’s leading advocates throughout his childhood, Dr. Jennifer Miller.

“Dr. Miller has just been just a saint for us. She cares about [Jacob] just as much as I do,” said Dominque. “There are not enough thank yous in the world. He is the person that he is because of Dr. Miller.”

Jacob and his family relied on the diabetes education resources at La Rabida to understand what he was experiencing and how they could better support him. “My godmother, my mother, my boyfriends all learned from La Rabida,” explained Dominique. Through a variety of educational classes, La Rabida’s diabetes care team teaches patients and their families about the basics of diabetes, how to manage their condition, and the various pumps and sensors they can utilize. These classes became a huge resource for Jacob’s educators as well. “His nurses went, his teachers went, his principal. They had no idea what was going on with Jacob and wanted to know how they could help. Being able to go to the diabetes education classes and sending whoever up there for free made such a difference in Jacob’s life.”

Consistent, reliable care is essential for children living with chronic conditions like diabetes. “Having that consistency in care, it means all of the world. There were many times where I didn’t have insulin and had to come to La Rabida to get it. There was a point when insurance cut us off and I would say to myself, ‘how are we going to have insulin? I can’t afford it.’ Just being able to go to La Rabida and get samples has saved his life multiple times because I did not have the money or resources to get him the insulin he needed.”

Now, Jacob is a rising sophomore at Loyola University where he is studying forensic science.

“Being [at La Rabida], teaching him how to care for himself, how to live a normal life - that allowed him to go to college,” reflected Dominique. “He’s now able to take care of himself all on his own. That’s because of Dr. Miller. I really just want to thank her. We are coming up on our last appointment, and it’s a virtual appointment. Dr. Miller is our safety net. She has been the most supportive person, next to me, in Jacob’s life.”

This story was featured in the July 2020 issue of eCurrents, La Rabida's monthly newsletter. To view the July issue of eCurrents, click here.