The Gailmard family is a force to be reckoned with. Standing in the face of adversity, they are an example of true resilience. Three of the five Gailmards were diagnosed with T1D within the last two years – first Aidan, at age four in 2010, then his dad a few months later, and then Collin at age four in 2011. Aidan and Collin have a brother, William who remains in the pre-diabetic stage. Very quickly, this inspirational family rallied together, gathered their friends, and formed one of the East Bay’s largest Walk Teams, The G-Force.
What motivates them? Gina Gailmard responds, “We believe it takes every single one of us working within our communities to raise awareness and support for JDRF…our family believes we must model and demonstrate to our children how to be proactive and give back to the causes that mean so much to us.”
By the time Walk Day comes around, The G-Force is ready to have fun and celebrate. Gina says, “There’s nothing better than the look of sheer joy and excitement on William, Aidan, and Collin’s faces! The boys are always so excited to feel a part of something so big and important–and doing it with friends and family is the best feeling ever.”
Gina admires her sons whom she calls heroes: “They face the countless finger pokes, injections, site changes, highs, lows, and everything else in between with such a great amount of strength and fortitude–never letting diabetes get in the way of living life with joy, love, and happiness!” She continues to reflect on what it means to be a hero and says, “Also, the pioneers researching prevention, better treatment, and a cure are the heroes who our children look up to with great admiration and hope.”
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
What an inspirational family! When they lived in NW Indiana, Gina was already an outstanding teacher and her husband an outstanding professor. I taught next door to Gina and was a patient of his father’s vision center. In addition to being outstanding in their own right, all are exceptionally nice people.
Marianne Welker