“I was so thrilled, honoured and humbled to receive the JDRF National Volunteer of the Year award last year!” The words of Katie Coulter, on her recognition in the 2015 JDRF Volunteer Recognition Awards. Nominations are now open to formally recognise and thank volunteers for the time and effort they dedicated to JDRF in the 2015/16 Financial Year.
Katie was nominated for her tireless work to raise funds and awareness for JDRF. Read Katie’s inspirational story:
When our daughter, Sophie was diagnosed with T1D in 2011, I went through the usual myriad of emotions that comes with a diagnosis, and amongst those emotions I was feeling so helpless in the fact that this was something that was happening to my child, that I did not have control over (other than trying to keep her as healthy as possible, of course). I could not make it go away or fix it.
Once we were over the initial shock of adjusting to our new normal, I decided that I needed to do whatever I could to help; I felt ready to volunteer.
As JDRF is the leading global organisation funding research into T1D, and they are putting all their energies specifically into preventing T1D, improving the lives of people living with T1D, and ultimately finding a cure, I decided they were the organisation to become involved with.
I have tried to get involved whenever and wherever I could. As well as raising money for research, I think it’s important to educate people about T1D, so I take every opportunity I can, to help people understand what it’s like living with T1D. I talk about T1D to anyone who will listen (!), I post about T1D regularly on social media and I have been to a local Rotary Club meeting as a speaker, and told them what it is like to be a parent of a child with diabetes.
Sophie and I were involved with the Promise to Remember me campaign and Kids in the House (KITH). We visited our federal MP (who, at the time was The Hon. Sussan Ley), to talk to her about what living with T1D is like and asked her to ask her party to commit to giving the T1DCRN $35m in funding. AT the KITH event, along with 99 other children with T1D and their parents, we got the Coalition’s agreement to commit to supporting JDRF through the CRN. I organised follow-up newspaper coverage of the KITH event, and when the ministerial announcement was made at Parliament House last year, of the release of $14m, Sophie made a speech on behalf of all the JDRF advocates in appreciation of the support. To this day, we are continuing our support for the JDRF advocacy program.
I hosted, with the help of a very small group of volunteers, the inaugural and second Walk To Cure Diabetes (now One Walk) for Albury Wodonga in 2012 and 2013. We put our hearts and souls into making the Walks as successful as possible. Because there is not really a support network in place in the area, and no real way of getting to know other local families living with T1D, it was an important event in bringing together the local T1D community to meet and make connections.
Since moving from Albury NSW to the ACT, I have joined the family committee, to help at the various events that take place in Canberra. The committee assisted in delivering the hugely successful Markus Gibson-Huck Dinner Dance with a 70s themed night, that not only far exceeded all expectations of fundraising, but was a fabulously fun night out! We are currently working on this year’s Canberra Dinner Dance.
Sophie lives with the disease and fights it daily, so I need to fight too, and this is my way of doing that.
By volunteering and advocating, I feel that I am helping to make a difference (albeit small), but I am also having fun doing it! Living with T1D sucks, but Sophie and I have done things we would never have done and met people we would never have met if she did not have it and if we did not volunteer. It is often hard work, but so rewarding, and to be awarded the National Volunteer of the Year award, was the icing on the cake! It’s not something I expected or hoped for, but I really appreciate that my efforts have been recognised and appreciated.
Thank you to the people who nominated me and to JDRF who continue to work hard for everyone living with T1D. Never lose HOPE that a cure will be found for all of our T1D warriors!”
Nominations for the 2015/2016 awards are open now, and will close 24 June 2016, with winners announced in August and awarded at each local JDRF One Walk in 2016. Submit your nomination here, to recognise a worthy adult or child.