Jordan HammThe Meyers family loves sports.
A Ravens flag is draped on the front door. Nine-year-old Grace is helping her younger sister with weekly NFL picks on a Friday afternoon.
Four kids playing multiple sports throughout the year means lots of coordination and scheduling. One of the Meyers children can’t find his baseball belt, and he’s recruiting his younger siblings to join the search party.
The mother of this crew is Beth. She laughs mid-interview and points out that the Diamondbacks’ postseason mantra “Embrace the Chaos” is fitting in this household.
As one of four boys, I’m right at home.
Coming from a family of that size with similar age differences, there’s something comforting watching a family navigate the obstacle course that is their schedule. You’re spinning plates while walking on a tightrope.
It’s messy and relentless. Yet, it works out.
In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t chaos.
The real chaos happened close to seven years ago when Grace was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just before her fourth birthday, meaning she couldn’t regulate her blood sugar.
I am a Type 1 diabetic as well and was diagnosed at two years old.
Speaking from experience, a low blood sugar feels like your brain is processing in slow motion. If your blood sugar crashes low enough, you could lose consciousness. Your mood can take a pretty wild swing if you don’t recognize it when it’s happening.
High blood sugars always made me feel jittery. I felt like SpongeBob when he went to see Sandy Cheeks. I can’t get enough water in me. The body wants to get the sugar out one way or another, and drinking it out is an effective way.
If the sugars are not properly regulated, long-term health issues are at play.
Introducing your child to daily finger pricks and insulin shots when they are too young to understand what’s going on sounds like absolute hell.
Looking back, I don’t know how my parents managed the hard right turn in life when my diagnosis came down. I don’t think Beth quite knows how she did it either.
She was looking for help. She was looking for guidance. She came across a coffee group for parents of children with Type 1 diabetes put on by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. One of the organizers of that event was Martha Andrews.
If you’re a football fan, you’re probably familiar with her son, Mark Andrews, tight end for the Baltimore Ravens. He played for Desert Mountain High School catching passes from fellow NFL player Kyle Allen. He was Baker Mayfield’s favorite target at Oklahoma. He’s emerged as one of the best tight ends in the NFL in recent years.
First and foremost, Marks Andrews is a Type 1 diabetic and has been since his diagnosis at nine years old.
He’s never been shy about his diabetes.
You may have seen recently that he assisted during an in-flight emergency. A woman was dipping in and out of consciousness, and Andrews provided his test kit so a doctor and nurse on the flight could check her blood sugar. They were able to get her blood sugar to stabilize and she walked off the flight.
Even as a high school student, he welcomed any and all questions. His friends could give him a finger prick when he needed to test his blood sugar.
His advocacy for diabetes awareness continued in college and now in the NFL. He’s worked with JDRF, the American Diabetes Association, Dexcom and Tandem to push for a cure and be a guiding light for those with diabetes.
Many young diabetics see what Mark does on the field and believe they can do anything. A good day with diabetes doesn’t guarantee the next one will be easy. Mark has plenty of rough days, but he continues to push and knows many look to him for support.
That’s why Martha asked Mark to send Grace a video giving some encouragement.
He did so, and earned some new Raven fans in the entire Meyers clan.
A one-off video turned into Mark sending over some photos. Then some jerseys. Grace wrote a story about Mark being an inspiration and sent it to him. One kind gesture turned into a legitimate friendship between the two families.
When the JDRF charity walk came around, they swapped team shirts, much like Mark would with a fellow NFL player after a game. Eventually, Mark was able to meet Grace in-person.
They’ve remained two (sugar-free) peas in a pod.
Now, Sundays are reserved for the Ravens in the Meyers household for one simple reason.
“Marky’s on the Ravens,” Grace explains.
Grace also helped Mark help promote awareness for Type 1 diabetes. Mark partnered with Dexcom, a device that helps track blood sugars in real time. Dexcom wanted to design a custom-made Mark Andrews-branded patch that helps keep the device in place.
Grace was up to the task.
She drew important aspects of Mark’s life on the patch and made it clear: If you’re wearing this patch, you’re a Mark Andrews fan.
That led to Mark using that design to promote JDRF for the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign, helping put diabetes awareness on the big stage.
This duo will keep pushing to spread awareness and fighting for a cure. Mark Andrews doesn’t plan on slowing down his work for multiple charities within the diabetic community. In seven years since her diagnosis, Grace and her family estimate they’ve raised about $60,000 for JDRF.
And whatever is thrown their way in their respective journeys, they’ll keep fighting and will rely on each other for inspiration and support.
