Carol Cramer Mission Statement

THE BEAR WITH DIABETES

It is my prayer for every child with diabetes to know that they are loved and accepted for being who they are, never any less because of diabetes. Just as a child loves a teddy bear for being a teddy bear, I made Rufus, the bear with diabetes, to help get this message to children with diabetes, provide comfort during times of uncertainty, and share learning with a partner and teammate.

Rufus has patches on him to help children learn about the spots on their bodies for insulin shots and the importance of rotating shot sites. A child can practice giving Rufus shots and talk to Rufus about the importance of rotating the shot sites while they empathize with Rufus. Rufus also has red heart patches on both sides of his paws so that a child can pretend to check Rufus’ blood sugars and talk to Rufus about what it feels like when testing is not fun, when it interrupts playtime with friends or is sometimes a necessary embarrassment when done in public places.

Wearing medical identification can seem unfair to a child who notices that few friends, classmates, brothers or sisters need to wear them. But Rufus is proudly wearing his medical identification bracelet. A child sees that Rufus is taking care of himself by wearing his I.D. at all times, wherever he goes. Rufus knows that his medical identification emblem, with his condition, can help friendly strangers, such as policemen and doctors, know how to take care of him if he were to become lost or hurt, away from his family, and unable to talk for himself.

Rufus can offer a child a real symbol of comfort and security. A child with diabetes is exactly that – a child with diabetes and not a diabetic child. The child comes first, needs to feel loved and accepted for being who they are in their hearts and souls. From there, they can accept their new life challenges, and the care of the diabetes will follow.

With love to all the children with diabetes.

Carol Cramer

and may not be used without written permission by Sandy Grossman-Morris.

I think that from now on whenever the sun is shining I

will always think of Rufus and the Sunbrella.

What a happy thought!

Barbara Payne

Rufus and the Sunbrella

Stitched by Carol Cramer’s mom, Barbara Payne.

Barbara lives in the Chicago area and was assisted on this project by North Shore Needleworks. She is presenting it to the National Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in honor of her grandson, Brian and all other children who have been diagnosed with Diabetes.