Never Let Diabetes Get in the Way

Shepherd Colver doesn't give up easily. Not even Type 1 diabetes can stop the 9-year-old from finishing his long delayed cross country bicycle trek to New York with his father, James.

"In May of 2019, we started over in Anacortes, WA, and headed right to the Cascades," James said Friday morning during a send-off from Glasgow. "We spent the next seven weeks going up and over the Cascades, then through the Coulee Desert and then over the Northern Rockies. Then, when we came down into the plains, Shepherd starting complaining about some headaches and not feeling too hot. So, we stopped here in Glasgow at the hospital to get him checked out. That was when we found out he was diabetic and had high blood sugar."

Unfortunately, the diagnosis prevented the father and son duo from the Seattle area from finishing their trek east.

"Shepherd told me when we were on the train heading back west he wanted to do this again someday and just continue where we left off to finish it off. That is why we are here now."

The duo arrived in Glasgow May 19, preparing for their long anticipated journey. A send-off in Hoit Park was organized by the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital (FMDH) and Glasgow High School student council members. As part of the send-off, several brand new bicycles and helmets were given to area youngsters in attendance who won a raffle. The youngsters than followed Shepherd along the first leg of his journey, escorted by Interim Glasgow Police Chief, Tyler Edwards, to the Cottonwood Inn and Suites.

The father and son had initially intended to bicycle all the way to Wolf Point Friday, but were delayed by stormy conditions.

The cold and rain didn't have an impact on the joy of Shepherd and the other kids riding along, however.

"It feels wonderful that I get to finish what I've started," Shepherd told The Courier. "Diabetes has cancelled a lot of things."

TYPE 1 DIABETES

Type 1 diabetes in juveniles is a condition in which their body no longer produces insulin, an important hormone, according to the Mayo Clinic. Insulin is produced in the pancreas, and is releasedin healthy individuals after every meal to help the body use and store the blood sugar derived from food. In people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer produces insulin, requiring them to obtrain insulin from an outside source to use glucose from meals.

Insulin generally must be administered via injection, because if taken orally it would be broken down by the normal digestion process and be unusable by the body. That means lots and lots of injections.

Shepherd said the injections aren't bad, and gave some advice to other kids facing similar circumstances.

"Be brave when you are getting your shots or putting insulin pumps on. You will eventually get used to it like I did."

The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, according to the Mayo Clinic. But, in most people with type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system - which normally fights harmful bacteria and viruses - mistakenly destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Once the cells are destroyed, there is little to no production of insulin. Without enough insulin, sugar builds up in the bloodstream, where it can cause life-threatening complications if left untreated.

There is no cure currently for type 1 diabetes in children, but it can be managed. Advances in blood sugar monitoring and insulin delivery have improved blood sugar management and quality of life for children with type 1 diabetes.

"Diabetes is hard, because Shepherd constantly has to monitor his blood sugar," James said. "We spent the last two years learning how to handle that. We have insulin I carry and extra sensors and a little thermal thing that keeps his insulin cold for days at a time. There have been a lot of things that have come out in recent years that have made it easier. He has a sensor attached to his body that monitors it. He looks at his phone and it tells him how he is doing. That is a huge help. Thankfully, his mom is a minister and she has really good insurance."

Shepherd's mom is clergy with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

FAMILY BONDING

James looks forward to spending the summer months riding east with his son.

"The theme of this ride is the gift of presense," he said. "Work less and spend more time with family. Since I have my own small business as a contractor, I have more control over my work schedule and I can plan accordingly and take the summer off. It is really exciting. It is an opportunity to learn more about him. All we do is, as soon as we get up we are together and we are hanging out and talking about stuff, sharing our ideas and riding together. It builds a stronger relationship together."

Family, James said, is sacred.

"I am 42 now, and I am starting to feel that time going by faster. Time can really get away from you, but the best thing about bicycle touring is everything slows back down again and you build up those memories. I am happy I am using my time in this way."

James hopes his son's tenacity will serve as inspiration for other kids.

"I hope it has a good impression on people and makes a difference for them. But, we are doing this because we wanted more bonding time and he wanted to ride with me. I used to ride professionally myself when I was in my 20s, and I have ridden the entire US, north to south, east to west. When he learned about that when he was 6, he wanted to start riding with me. That is really how this got started. It was his idea. I agreed to train him."

Shepherd said there was "definitely a lot of training on trails and highways."

FUNDRAISING

While not presently fundraising for any particular cause, James said he is ammenable to the idea in future.

"I am open to fundraising, but that door never really openedAt this point, there is not any plans to do any fundraising, but that door is always open."

The father and son duo will post their journey along with way via social media for those interested in their progress.

Chris McDaniel Can Be Reached at 406-228-9301 or [email protected].