by Carissa Rogers, GoodNCrazy.com

My husband has type I diabetes and is insulin dependent.  He has been since he was 15 years old. Thankfully it’s under control and he is a healthy active father, husband, lawyer and all around GoodNCrazy guy.

Twelve years ago, I watched his disease significantly improve.  He no longer had to endure 2 and 3 insulin shots per day, instead he moved to an insulin pump dripping insulin directly under his skin for up to three days a time.

This changed his life, and it also changed mine.

We no longer needed to precisely time our lunch hour, gone was the huge stress over whether we had enough food or insulin on an airplane trip and I stopped having panic attacks when I spent nights away worrying that he might not be able to get to his sugar tablets without me.

Even with the many amazing technologies and gains in the treatment of Type I Diabetes (T1D), there is still a long way to go. I used to work in molecular biology research and I understand what it takes and how slowly progress is sometimes achieved.

Because of this, my husband’s disease changed me in another way too.  I’ve become a committed volunteer, actively raising awareness and funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and their work to one day find a cure for T1D.

Our family works to volunteer our time, money and support to the Diabetes cause as much as we can. We ask friends and family to support us as a family as we Walk for a Cure. And then we match the overall cash contribution we raise with our own funds. I  also hand out fliers to my church group, my PTO and my bookclub.

I routinely rely on social media and my social network to support JDRF and it occurred to me that some of the things I’ve been doing could work for anyone trying to build awareness and raise support for a cause.

Here’s how I am using social networks to help JDRF.

My blog: I use a paypal button and encourage people to donate, and when I have opportunities to help another blogger with HTML problems or social media consulting that I otherwise might charge for, often I ask them to simply donate what they can to my Cause Button. I also share stories about my family and our Walk-A-Thon participation.

Twitter: I help raise awareness, supporting @JDRF_intl, retweeting and sharing links.

Facebook: JDRF has created a fabulous Facebook page complete with information, frequently asked questions and a question and answer spot.  I am part of the JDRF’s Fan base and I regularly “like” and share their links.

I hope you’ll think about bringing the cause you care about to your friends fans and followers online!

Keep on making a difference!

Carissa Rogers in a former life was a molecular biologist.  In her current life she is the chief researcher of parenting dos (and some don’ts), new recipes, and for spice pretends to be a photographer…a mom of all trades. She blogs at GoodNCrazy.com, and writes for various online magazines. She has three good kids and one crazy husband. Find her on Twitter: @CarissaRogers

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting every organ system that strikes children and adults suddenly, and lasts a lifetime.

What are warning signs?

Frequent urination is one of the telltale signs of type 1 diabetes, along with excessive thirst, lower than normal energy/tiredness and weight loss. Early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is important and can help prevent the risk of a potentially deadly condition, especially in young children.

What are the different types of Diabetes?

Type 1 (insulin-dependent or juvenile) Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset)