Meet Jon Lowe, Turning T1D into a Life’s Work

My story began 13 years ago when at the age of 33 I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). At that time it was considered rare for someone my age to be diagnosed. One weekend while driving back from a wedding my vision became blurry. As long as I can remember, I have had 20/15 vision so not being able to see a person standing directly in front of me or make out a car passing by was quite scary. Later, I could not quench my thirst. These symptoms led me to the emergency room, where low and behold, I was diagnosed with T1D. Normal glucose levels are 70 to 120. I was at 590! I remained in hospital for three days while they worked to get my blood glucose levels back to normal.

For a person who grew up part of a family who ate a healthy dinner together every night; who was extremely active and played sports from birth through college; who had no family member diagnosed with diabetes prior, this life changing event could not have come as any more of a surprise than it did.

Not long after my diagnosis, in an effort to turn this new normal into something constructive, my family and I founded the TJ–JL Foundation Inc. It has been blessed with tremendous success and ever growing support. Our Foundation, through our 2 signature events, now supports the American Diabetes Association National Capital Area as well as two other diabetes related foundations.

This September we will host the 13th Annual TJ–JL Charitable Invitation Golf Classic. In 2012, we introduced our Youth Ambassador Program, choosing a local child with T1D to assist us with that year’s philanthropic efforts. We recently held the 2017 Kick-Off Band Party at the Rock Creek Mansion in Bethesda and introduced our 2017 Ambassador Colin Gervasio.  While T1D has never been easy, I am so grateful that we’ve been able to support organizations like the Association and support others living with the disease.

I am also honored to sit on the National Capital Area Leadership Board for the American Diabetes Association. I’ve also served on the Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes Committee and look forward to continuing to help the local office reach its goals and have a positive impact on our community.

– Jon is married to his incredibly supportive wife Grace and has three children Max, Taylor, and Harper. When not spending his time combating diabetes, Jon has had a 20 year career in finance currently an Executive Financial Consultant with XML Financial Group.

A Gathering of Champions

On January 12, the National Capital Area gathered together with Champions (fundraisers over $1,000) from the 2016 DC Step Out and Tour de Cure. Through our participants, especially our Champions, the National Capital Area is able to offer programs  such as Family Link, which offers networking and support to type 1 families. Another offering is the Senior Signature Series which provides resources for senior citizens and helps them better understand how to manage their diabetes. Additionally, our Ambassador program has trained more than 300 ambassadors to be our “boots on the ground” and speak at health fairs and other events. Community level work like this would not be possible without our fundraisers and Champions!

Look for details on our 2017 DC Tour de Cure and Step Out events in the coming weeks!

Northern Virginia Tour de Cure—Shifting into Gear!

On January 11, we officially kicked off the Northern Virginia Tour de Cure at the Brio Tuscan Grille in Tyson’s Corner. Many committee members, Red Riders, past and new participants gathered together to learn more about the 2017 event. There was great conversation as many riders shared what motivates them to ride for the Association. It seems everyone agrees that the Tour is more than an event—it’s a family!

The Northern Virginia Tour De Cure will be held on May 13 at the Reston Town Center. We are gearing up for our best year yet and invite everyone who is interested to register today! Don’t want to ride? We need volunteers too, sign up here!

Get Involved Locally!

In addition to becoming an ambassador as described above, there are a variety of other ways to become involved in the National Capital Area. If you are interested in volunteering, hosting a third party event, participating in our signature events or learning more, please contact Alexandra Dystant at adystant@diabetes.org.

Upcoming Events:

February 17-19: 64th Advanced Postgraduate Course

March 11: Team Diabetes participates in the Rock N Roll Marathon

May 13: Northern Virginia Tour de Cure

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