Walking the line for diabetes
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Jennifer Miller, a 37-year-old London mother of three, began a 'journey of a lifetime' Monday with friends and family to help raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Miller, who plans to walk nearly 1,000 km to Ottawa, began walking on Monday, May 4. She is joined by friend Shirley Hockley, who is walking with her all the way to the nation's capital. Another friend, Chantel Ford, provides vehicle support along with Jennifer's father, Jack Miller.
"I'm far from a celebrity," said Jennifer, meeting Mayor Stephen Molnar at the Town of Tillsonburg offices Thursday morning before continuing their journey Ingersoll and Woodstock, the next municipalities on a list of about 39 on the walk.
"I'm just a mom, that's it. Maybe to my kids. The crazy one."
Her daughters, 13-year-old Haylee and 11-year-old Lilee, who both have Type 1 diabetes, are walking with them Mondays-Thursdays, about 10 km each day. Her five-year-old son Grayson and the children's dad, Tim Lentz, ride in the RV. One vehicle stays with the walkers while the other collects donations and helps raise awareness.
"I said, 'it's a good idea, but you're... crazy," said Haylee, recalling her mom's intention to 'Walk the Line for Diabetes,' but she was quick to join the cause. "I said, 'if you're going to be crazy I'm going to tag along.'"
"I also thought she was crazy," Lilee laughed. "Yeah, I wanted go too. Because I support her," she added, looking to her mom, "I don't think you're crazy any more."
They know they have a long journey ahead of them. A very long journey, but both are confident they'll stick with it.
"I think we'll make it," Haylee nodded. "I'm not sure about her, she's slow."
"I'll make it," said a determined Lilee.
"The kids will go to school every Friday and get their homework so they're kept up to date," said Jennifer. "Then turn it in on Fridays and get their next week's work. Their school is fantastic, they're super supportive."
Jennifer stressed it was important for the children to be on the journey as well, "because they are the face of it. It's them that have to live with it. We live with it as a family, but it's them that have to do it."
It wasn't long after Lilee was diagnosed on Family Day in 2015 that Jennifer decided to do the fundraising/awareness walk.
"After we got through that whole ordeal, I just wanted to make a difference and I thought this was a good way to do it," said Jennifer. "Raise awareness and raise money for research.
"Raising awareness is huge... for people to understand the difference between the types of diabetes, and what they need, and what they have to go through."
She picked Ottawa as their destination because she wanted to meet the Minister of Health.
"I want to talk to them and I want them to know that diabetics need more support. They need funding, they need help with devices and different programs to help them."
Their route took them 29.3 km to St. Thomas Monday, 27.6 km to Springfield Tuesday, and 21.2 km to Tillsonburg Wednesday. They continued to Ingersoll Thursday.
"More than 110,000 steps so far," Jennifer smiled.
"And some blisters on our toes," nodded Hockley.
If the weather gets bad, Jennifer said 'the show will go on'.
"You can't (take a day off) with diabetes. You've got to keep going. No days off, but we will have some light days."
To donate to their walk online – Walking the Line for Diabetes 2016 – go to their website walkingtheline.ca, which provides a link to a gofundme.com page.
"Thank you for sharing your story, your hopes and dreams with us," said Mayor Molnar as the group was preparing to leave Tillsonburg. "Know that you're not walking alone – we'll follow you on your journey."