Dear friends

In a few weeks time, I’ll be embarking on an exciting 100km walk in Jordan to raise awareness and funds on behalf of JDRF, a charity our family have been supporting ever since our daughter Rose (now aged 7) was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a few weeks after she had just turned 3.  

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that affects the pancreas. Rose’s  pancreas does not produce any insulin. As a result, we need to inject or continually infuse insulin through a pump and carefully balance insulin doses with eating and daily activities. Too high / too low can both be very dangerous. We constantly monitor her blood-sugar levels and can never leave the house without her medical equipment. Keeping her blood sugar stable requires constant attention and the most simple things of the life of a 7 year old become very challenging : birthday parties, sleepovers, school trips etc. Type 1 is a non-stop and 24/7 balancing act from which there’s no break. Rose is a very strong little girl and we all admire her so much. 

The Sugarplum Jordan Trek - 13th to 20th November 2021: 100km for £100k to mark 100 years of insulin.

2021 marks 100 years since the discovery of insulin, one of the greatest medical break-throughs in history. The group will be embarking on this 100km challenge with the aim to raise £100k for JDRF, the type 1 diabetes charity."Just as important as raising funds to help find the cure for type 1 diabetes, is raising awareness about this unrelenting condition and acting as a mouthpiece for those who are too little to shout about it themselves."

Sugarplum Children was founded by Jubie Wigan in 2013 after her daughter Aliena was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of just two and a half.Type 1 diabetes is a life threatening and lifelong autoimmune condition that affects 400,000 in the UK and more than 29,000 are children. Sugarplum Children passionately fundraises for JDRF, the world's leading type 1 diabetes research charity.

For more information about Sugarplum Children visit sugarplum children.com & JDRF jdrf.org