According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), nearly 3 million Americans have Type 1 Diabetes each year, and five of them attend John Wickes Elementary School.

To support their fellow students and raise money for research, the whole school participated in a JDRF Walk fundraiser at the school on Friday, May 22.

This is the third year the school has hosted a walk.

Earlier in the school year, representatives from JDRF visited the school and explained diabetes to the students.

Kathy Tipirneni, the nurse at Wickes, who has spearheaded the effort to educate the student body on diabetes, said JDRF explains the basics to students and the various devices someone with diabetes might use.

Those students with diabetes also read books and explained diabetes to the younger students.

“It’s really students teaching other students on a level that they all can understand. It really builds confidence in those that have diabetes that it’s OK that they do,” Tipirneni said.

Kaelyn Caraballo was one of the first students in the school to have diabetes and has been a big advocate for education, visiting with other students to explain the condition.

She said that sometimes it can be hard to make friends because students are afraid they might “catch it” or question everything someone with diabetes eats.

Thanks, partially, to all the efforts of the school, Kaelyn has a lot of friends at Wickes.

“It’s really just a lack of education, but to have my friends know what it is and they aren’t worried to be with me is great,” Kaelyn said.

She said it has been reassuring to know that her school is so supportive of her and the other students with diabetes.

Kerri Caraballo, Kaelyn’s mother, said the school, especially Tipirneni has gone over and above to make sure her daughter feels safe and comfortable at school.

“This school means the world to me and Ms. Tip has been an angel,” she said. “Everything helps us get one step closer to a cure.”

Kelly Petrarca, another parent whose son Isaac Williams has diabetes as well, said, “All the support we have gotten from everyone in this school has been wonderful. It’s great to have your children in a school where they aren’t thought as different for diabetes, but celebrated.”

Tipirneni, after learning Kaelyn had diabetes, actually received special training to be prepared should anything happen at school.

She said the whole school has embraced the students with diabetes and educating themselves on the disease.

Because students are educated, they can recognize if another student were to have a hypoglycemic episode, when blood sugar is dangerously low, to alert others and get help.

Tipirneni said, “This is really about protecting our kiddos.”

The walk was led by some of the Warwick firefighters and the five children with diabetes were able to sit in the fire truck.

The second grade even sang the five students with diabetes a song titled, “We are Family” before the walk.

Altogether the school raise $1,425 this year and in the previous two years the school has raised a collective $4,664.

“Hopefully the funds we raise will help researchers find innovative and successful ways to cure diabetes or at least make life easier for those with the condition,” Tipirneni said.

For more information on diabetes or the JDRF Walk, visit www.kidswalk.jdrf.org or call 888-533-WALK (9255).