Enter the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF), known today as JDRF.įeeling exasperated and unsure how to help her son, Carol called the JDF Chicago Chapter. He did not want to get out of bed, and as far as he was concerned, his birthday completely flopped. “Brian told me it was not his birthday,” recalled Carol, “Because he promised himself that when he turned five, he wouldn’t have diabetes and he would get the cure.”īrian did not want his presents or cake, telling his mother to take it all back. “Not yet,” said Carol, “but we mustn’t give up hope.” “Happy Birthday Buddy,” Carol happily awoke her son, “You’re 5-years-old today.” Brian excitedly asked if he had gotten a cure for his birthday.
Rufus had come to life.īrian’s birthday rolled around a couple of weeks later.
Carol dressed the bear in a Chicago Bulls outfit. A red heart adorned the chest to represent blood and blood glucose. She used a cereal box to cut out templates for felt patches that she sewed onto the teddy’s arms, thighs, buttocks, and stomach. “It was such a clear path.”Ĭarol, feeling renewed, went to the store to buy the perfect-sized teddy bear. Nothing was going to be able to get in my way”, described Carol. Carol awoke with an idea, and she knew exactly what she needed to do. Like so many type 1 parents, Carol wondered if she had done something to cause her son’s diabetes.įlash forward to June 1, 1996. “You can’t do anything to get totally better, and you go through so many emotions, and you feel so much guilt,” says Carol. Months passed and Carol found herself struggling with anxiety and depression – she felt alone and scared.
Carol and her son, Brian, pictured below. She hoped to come up with something that could comfort Brian and help him understand his new world. “When you go to the hospital,” said Carol, “You hope to come home cured.” Unfortunately, this is not the case with type 1 diabetes.īrian’s mom, Carol Cramer, a classically trained musician, and stay-at-home mom, felt that there had to be a better way to educate her son. During Brian’s hospitalization, the staff gave him a coloring book to learn about his new diagnosis. Rufus’s story begins in the Chicago suburb of Lake Zurich in 1994 when a 3-year-old boy named Brian was diagnosed with T1D. Having a friend like Rufus along for the ride is a simple comfort-and at that moment, Rufus is worth his weight in gold.Īs we continue the journey of unlocking the science that is improving lives, and ultimately, finding cures-we take time to celebrate Rufus, a JDRF icon, who turns 25 this June. The day a child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a day of shock, disbelief, fear, and sadness that can overwhelm even the strongest among us.īut when a child gets those first doses of insulin and starts to feel better, a glimmer of hope appears. We will also be sharing your Rufus stories and pictures throughout the month of June! Post a picture with your Rufus and tag you just might see it on our social media! #hbdayrufus Rufus the bear’s 25th birthday is on June 19! In recognition of this milestone, we wanted to share the local Illinois story of how Rufus came to be.