Cedar Park family raising awareness about Type 1 diabetes

Avery Dietz loves to tumble and would cart-wheel her way around the house if she could.

"I love doing gymnastics and at school I love math," said the eight-year-old.

As a third grader she doesn't let anything slow her down.

"She's the most happy positive kid and she's that way with everything she's dealing with," said Becca Dietz, Avery's mom.

Six years ago Avery was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

"A part in my body wasn't working," said Avery.

"We got her on the pump and that's how she stays alive. It's her little pancreas that's constantly giving her insulin," said Dietz. Finding the golden number for Avery is a constant goal for her mom and dad, Jeffrey.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas loses the ability to make insulin which is essential for turning food into energy.

"We have to check my finger before I eat," said Avery.

"It's a daily, hourly, minute by minute disease you're conscious of and constantly thinking about," said Dietz.

Avery stays positive even though her finger is pricked at least eight times a day.

"This is something they don't know exactly or a have a pinpoint as to why she developed this," said Dietz.

The Dietz family, and many others, are preparing for the JDRF One Walk to raise awareness and money for Type 1 diabetes research. Her team name is Avery's Animals.

Avery knows all of the money raised will help doctors.

"To figure out how to stop diabetes," said Avery.

There is no cure but Avery's parents are hopeful that will change.

"This is life and we're going to do it and we're going to pump it up.
That's what we say when we're doing her pump," said Dietz.

Avery plans to keep tumbling through life all without missing a beat hoping that Type 1 becomes type none.

The JDRF One Walk is on November 1st at the Toney Burger Center in South Austin.

FOX 7 is a proud sponsor of the JDRF One Walk.