Meet Our BETA Society Members
Debbie Durban
Debbie Durban had just celebrated her grandson Liam’s 10th birthday before he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). “He was perfectly fine during his birthday and before his mom took him Friday afternoon to his annual well check visit,” says Debbie.
On the way to the doctor, Liam’s mom bought him a Sprite, not knowing that her son could not produce the needed insulin to process the carbohydrates. “They did a standard finger prick during the visit, and when the nurse came back, she said Liam had type 1 diabetes and they needed to go to the hospital.” Liam’s mom, an RN herself, was in disbelief and explained that Liam had just had a Sprite. “Even on the way to the hospital, we all thought it was still a mistake.”
The next day, the endocrinologist came to see Liam while at the hospital. Debbie remembers being there during the visit. “Liam asked, ‘How long am I going to have this?’” Since that day in the hospital, Debbie has made it her personal goal to make sure Liam has what he needs to live the best life.
After contacting Liam’s Certified Diabetes Education (CDE), Debbie followed the CDE’s suggested and connected with JDRF. She now serves on the JDRF Palmetto Chapter Board of Directors and is a BETA Society member. When asked why she included JDRF as a beneficiary of her 401k, Debbie says, “I want to do everything in my power to make life better for him. Part of that is supporting JDRF financially.”
To learn more about including JDRF as a beneficiary of your retirement assets, click here.