A grateful CHOC family gives back

Seventeen years ago, Beth and David Jewell’s 13-year-old daughter, Katrina, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a disease that the young teenager was already familiar with. Her best friend and her friend’s brother both had the disease, so she saw firsthand how manageable it was. “Being diagnosed at age 13 was life-changing.” Katrina says. “But having my best friend and her brother with type 1 and their mom being a nurse helped me navigate the early days of it and not go in blind.”

Katrina began receiving care from Dr. Susan Clark, a longtime CHOC physician and nationally recognized expert in diabetes and endocrinology who passed away in 2017. “The care that I received at CHOC was above and beyond,” Katrina remembers. ”That time in a girl’s life can be the hardest of all-the stress of high school, hormones and sports to name a few—but it was definitely so much easier with the help of Dr. Clark.”

A career inspiration

Katrina was so inspired by her experience that she joined CHOC as an intern after college, working with the research team for CHOC’s endocrinology program. “My experiences at CHOC were so positive that my career interests flipped to the medical field. Having the chance to work with the endocrinology team that diagnosed and took care of me was like a dream,” Katrina says. “Interning at CHOC confirmed in my mind that if you have a child and something happens—­diabetes or anything else—CHOC is the best place you can find. Everyone genuinely cares about the patients and employees.”

Katrina also had the pleasure of working with Dr. Mark Daniels, director of endocrinology, who stewards the KatrinaKures funds for type 1 diabetes research. Dr. Daniels has worked directly with the Jewell family for more than 12 years.

Giving back

The Jewells were grateful for the outstanding care their daughter received at CHOC, so they decided to give something back—­and they did it in spectacular fashion. As avid runners, they channeled their love for the sport into an annual family tradition named after their daughter—­­KatrinaKures—­two years after Katrina was diagnosed. This year, David and Beth took it to another level as they rode their bicycles from Vancouver to the Mexican border to raise awareness and funds for KatrinaKures. More than 2,000 miles later and two months on the road, the Jewells put a satisfying stamp on their 15th year.

In 2023, KatrinaKures surpassed $250,000 for diabetes research at CHOC, a remarkable achievement that shows no signs of slowing. “Part of why we give back to CHOC is that we’ve had such a positive experience there as a family,” says David. “Every time we go to CHOC. you can see how CHOC is helping the most vulnerable, the most innocent. We want the money to go toward research for a ‘kure’ for type 1 diabetes. I hope it will happen in my lifetime. It’s getting closer.”

For Katrina, a happy and healthy 31-year-old wife and mother, finding a cure is especially important, as she and her husband, Jake—who also has type 1 diabetes—­just gave birth to their second daughter on Thanksgiving Day. “Having the money go toward finding a cure is huge, not just for us, but especially as our family grows it makes the cause so much bigger,” she says. “We ‘re very proud to be partnered with CHOC and excited about what’s to come.”

This story appeared in the January 2024 print issue of the CHOC Chronicle newsletter.