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When life hands you juvenile diabetes, make lemonade

By Staff | Jul 9, 2017

Jane Vanden Eykel behind her lemonade stand at her grandparents house, Brian and Louise Koranda, to raise money for juvenile diabetes research.

Brian and Louise Koranda welcomed some very special visitors to Blue Earth for the Fourth of July holiday. Their granddaughters Jane and Sidney Vanden Eykel, along with parents Ellen and Eric, all visited from Roanoke, Virginia.

The Vanden Eykels became the talk of the town as they decided to hold a fundraising event during their visit. On the Fourth of July, a lemonade stand was organized at the Koranda home on West Fifth street.

Those who stopped by were greeted by the precocious five year-old Jane. During the hot summer afternoon, refreshing lemonade was served in exchange for free will donations. These donations were accepted in the name of a very worthwhile cause.

Young Jane was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes on Feb. 18 of this year. Dealing with this disease has had a profound impact on Jane and the rest of her family. Since that time, the entire Vanden Eykel family has concentrated their efforts on raising money for research into this extremely serious medical condition.

In a passionate attempt to find a cure for juvenile diabetes, a grand total of $552.14 was raised at the lemonade stand. An additional $1,580 has been raised by Jane and her family since her diagnosis.

Ellen Vanden Eykel says that the family’s proactive approach towards conquering this obstacle has been met with an outpouring of support from the people of Blue Earth. Still an active community member, Vanden Eykel is extremely grateful for such incredible support from the folks of her native town.

“I was amazed at how much money we were able to raise on a holiday,” Vanden Eykel explained. “We were only out there for two hours. The support of everybody has been pretty overwhelming.”

Having a child that is living with juvenile diabetes provides many challenges for the Vanden Eykel family. For one, their daughter Jane must wear an arm glucose meter at all times in order to keep track of her insulin levels. The family must also keep a watchful eye over all of Jane’s eating habits. Although this condition requires round the clock care, it is well worth the effort to keep precious Jane happy and healthy.

“My husband and I basically have to act as her pancreas. We have to make sure she gets the right amount of fiber in her diet and the right amount of sleep as well,” said Vanden Eykel.

Jane’s illness was discovered because of growing concerns that the normally energetic youngster was behaving in a sluggish and subdued manner. A visit to the pediatrician revealed Jane’s condition.

With Jane’s health being properly managed, the jubilant young lady showed no outward signs of sluggishness or fatigue as she put smiles on the faces of each donor who interacted with her. In fact, Jane proudly displayed the first dollar that was collected at the lemonade fundraising stand.

Roughly 1,250,000 Americans are living with juvenile diabetes. In fact, an additional 40,000 Americans are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes each year. Also known as Type 1 diabetes, this disease can strike children and adults at any age.

If you would like to donate funds to help find a cure for juvenile diabetes, please visit www.jdrf.org.