Drea is a junior at William & Mary and is an English and Psychology double major. Dani, her sister, is a freshman and a Neuroscience major on the pre-med track with a Dance minor. They work together to make necklaces which they sell in support for Type 1 diabetes.
1. What is Cute for a Cure?
Drea: Cute for a Cure is the name of the small non-profit organization that Dani & I started last year to raise money for researching a cure for Type 1 diabetes. We create one-of-a-kind, collaged necklace pendants and sell them, donating 100% of the profits to JDRF, which is an organization dedicated to Type 1 Diabetes research and to finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.
2. Why did you choose juvenile diabetes as the charity?
Dani: My whole life I was a healthy normal kid. Statistically, a majority of Type 1 Diabetics develop symptoms of the disease, and are diagnosed as children (that’s why it is nick-named “Juvenile Diabetes”). So, when I was diagnosed, as a Type 1 Diabetic, my Senior year of high school, not only did my identity as a healthy person change, but these feelings of incapability and helplessness really bubbled up to overwhelm not only me, but also Drea, who is my other half and best friend in the world. Living and working with this life-changing disease that has no cure and is purely unavoidable if you are born with the predisposition towards it, with all the injections and blood tests at least 4 times a day, is one of the most helpless feelings imaginable. As kids, growing up, when things go wrong we are told to go ask an adult for help, and so when you are diagnosed with an incurable disease, you have to wait and trust doctors; until a cure is found, we just have to manage the disease. But, sitting idly hoping for a cure is devastating. What we do with the necklaces, is give ourselves some sort of control over expediting the process of finding a cure. Although we aren’t doctors yet (insert winky face here) we are gaining back some of the control that was taken when the diagnosis happened.
3. How did you become interested making necklaces?
Dani: For Valentine’s Day I had this idea to sculpt a tiny heart out of clay, bake it, cover it in colorful patterns and pictures that reminded me of Drea, and string it on a chain so that she could wear it and remind herself how much I loved her and was always with her (especially when she went off to college and we would be separated for months at a time). I also believe that for a newly diagnosed person, and for the family and friends of a newly diagnosed chronically ill person, it becomes critical to feel that you are loved, especially when you are physically distant from those who support you. Not only do these necklaces act as a physical embodiment of that support, but also, 100 percent of the profits we earn through the necklace sales get shipped directly to JDRF.
4. What advice could you give to William & Mary students who want to get involved in giving back to the community?
Dani: Act on your passion! That’s all I can say. Don’t let yourself be a victim in any sense of the word. You always have control over something. Maybe you can’t find a cure for your mom’s Alzheimer’s Disease, or you can’t entirely eradicate sexual abuse, but what you can do is fearlessly throw yourself in to fundraising for research, or gather clinical testing/medical supplies or toys for children at the shelter. There is never a situation in which you are completely helpless, and solutions to problems are arrived at always by little sparks of passions and baby steps.
Drea: Don’t underestimate the significant good that you or even just a couple of friends can do, especially when it is sustained over a long period of time! As William & Mary students, I feel like a lot of us get into the over-achieving mindset where if we don’t do something “big” on a large-scale (which can be very daunting to plan and execute!), we feel like it’s not worth doing at all. But you should never feel powerless or that the way you go about doing good is inadequate or won’t make a difference. There is never such thing as a “small” good act—you can still make a significant impact in ways that are not stressful or that “burn you out.” You have the passion and the dedication, and should never be discouraged about the positive steps you can help make towards great things. And people (especially at William & Mary!) are so willing to support you in your efforts, so don’t hesitate to reach out to people in the community for help!
5. What changes would you like to see in the world in the next ten years?
Drea: I feel like there are so many great things in the works for the world right now. With all of the scientific developments happening currently, I am hopeful that in the next ten years, there will be many improved treatments and cures for conditions like Type 1 Diabetes. I also think that recently, there has been an increase in awareness for so many important causes that relate to the overall health, happiness, and acceptance of all people. Some topics which come to mind are those related to mental health, sexual abuse, individuals with special needs, gay rights, and education reform. There are so many issues which have gone under the radar or have had a stigma associated with them for too many years, making people feel embarrassed or reluctant to talk about them openly. It is amazing to see that people are more willing to talk about and advocate for topics that are sometimes tough to discuss. There is a Walt Whitman quote I discovered recently and have been trying to live by more, which is “Be curious, not judgmental.” I think that kind of thinking is so much at the heart of the increased awareness and understanding that have been happening. I would love to see people continue to be interested and open-minded, gaining more knowledge about different facets of our shared human experience. It would be wonderful for these open conversations increase and flourish, and for people to continue being curious and unafraid in learning more. With such increased understanding and acceptance, people who are both directly and indirectly affected by such issues can advocate for improving the lives of those around us in countless ways.