national diabetes week
(in Canada the normal range is
4.0-7.0mmol/L, while in Australia
it’s 4.0-7.8mmol/L). Kate finally
received her official diagnosis:
type 1 diabetes.
Following the diagnosis, the
Beaulieus were encouraged to
get involved in the upcoming
Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation (JDRF) annual walk,
that coming June. They asked
friends and family to join them
on their team ‘EradiKate T1D’
and began brainstorming
fundraising ideas, including
selling ‘EradiKate’ shirts at their
neighbourhood garage sale. “After
we found out the team shirts
wouldn’t arrive on time, I said
‘Let’s make some Sugardrop
shirts to sell’,” explains Kate, who
took inspiration from the first
shirts she made with her mum
- ironed-on mandala-type drop
designs – for her recent birthday
party. They made 50 shirts
for Sugardrop and sold them
all. By the time the walk
was done, they had
raised more than $6500.
“This really hit me,
as I realised then that
I wanted to sell clothing
and that I could do it
with something that
tied in with my new life
as a type 1 diabetic,”
Kate explains. “It was
a productive distraction
from my new diagnosis
and it helped me focus
on something positive.”
Wanting something more
meaningful in her designs, Kate
worked with a graphic designer
to come up with the official ‘drop’
logo (see earrings, right). “The
main drop outline represents the
single drop of blood needed for
early diagnosis of type 1,” says
Kate. “The smaller drops inside
represent the drops of blood that
type 1 diabetics must take
multiple times a day to test their
blood sugar. The linked drops, in
the middle, represent the type 1
community and that we are all
connected; and finally, the small
drops surrounded by the larger
drops represent that no matter
how bad our diabetes gets, we
are never alone.”
By the end of October 2017,
the website launched with a story
that can easily be shared – all it
takes is a single drop of blood to
be tested for an early diagnosis,
which can save your life. “My
proudest moment was when a
teen reached out to say that when
she was sick she saw the early
signs of type 1 on my website,
showed her mum, and was
diagnosed early,” says Kate.
Since then, Kate has made TV
appearances, attended numerous
events, donated Sugardrop items
for silent auctions and continued
promoting her brand, raising
awareness and
sharing her story.
Currently, 10 per
cent of Sugardrop’s net
profits go to JDRF, but
this passionate teen is
hoping to get involved
with projects that have
a real impact on those
who need it most.
“I learnt through a
type 1 diabetic social
influencer – who
travelled to Africa and
met diabetics who walk four
hours, once a month, to a small
clinic to get their insulin and
supplies, and then have to ration
their supplies until the next visit- that there are so many people
around the world who are not as
fortunate and I want Sugardrop
to make a real difference,” says
Kate. “Even helping one person
makes a difference.” ■
Kate, like others, hated the
needles at first. “Mum used to
try and make my finger pokes
funny and say it was time to get
that ‘sugardrop’,” which referred
to the drop of blood needed to
test her BGLs, she says. “At first
I found it annoying, but then
I said ‘Hey that’s a cool name
for a company for diabetes’.”One
Sugardrop
can save
a life –
Your life.
BEHIND THE NAME