When I
pedaled across the USA in 2007, the first time I raised money for JDRF, I
cranked out the 4,000-plus miles in honor of a number of former and current
students, and friends, and my youngest daughter, Emily, who have type-1
diabetics. Adam Kavka was kind enough to let me ride in his name then, and do a
follow-up interview for my third cross-country ride. It was a pleasure to catch
up on his life.
(The story of how he helped me when my daughter was diagnosed is included in the original post from 2007, below.)
Since I
last crossed paths with Mr. Kavka, he has aged a little (whereas I have started
to shrivel). He’s thirty-two, has a degree from Ohio State in physics, and a
master’s from Carnegie Mellon. Eventually, he decided he didn’t want to pursue a
PhD. in physics, and turned instead toward computer sciences. Today he’s a
software engineer for Meta, the parent of Facebook, and lives in Washington
D.C. He says he’s happy in his career path. He’s been in the capital since
2016, briefly crossed paths with my daughters, Sarah and Emily, who were living
there at the time, before moving away, and Adam met his girlfriend, Julianne,
there, too.
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Adam and Julianne incognito. |
She’s an
event coordinator for the Smithsonian, focused on Asian art, and a Mt. Holyoke
and Georgetown graduate. As I always like to do, I asked how they met. Adam
admits they signed up for a dating app called, “The League,” which originally
focused on graduates of Ivy League schools. But their budding attraction almost
wilted at the start. Adam’s phone stopped working, and messages Julianne was
sending kept going to his Apple watch, and he didn’t see them, and failed to
respond, and both thought the other had lost interest. Now they’re going
strong.
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At the White House. |
Fate is
fickle, of course. Adam and Julianne never had to meet. They didn’t have to
move to D.C., but did. Another week of missed signals might have killed the
romance. The curse of the Apple watch. Adam could have decided to go for his
PhD., and not move to D.C. And it’s an entirely different story if he does.
What is it?
Fate
“swipes left?”
It’s a
lot like developing type-1 diabetes. Your immune system decides to “swipe
left.” There you are. You’ve been hit with a lifelong disease for which – now
going on 102 years – there has been no known cure.
For
Adam, Fate delivered the low blow when he was twelve. He’s had to spend two
decades checking his blood sugar, and admits, “I get tired of it,” although his
A1C is 6.4, which means he has excellent control. When I asked him what he
notices most about how diabetes disrupts his life, he mentioned the “constant
tension” whenever he goes out, a kind of “mental strain” revolving around what
he can eat, or cannot, and what activities to engage in or avoid, a constant
“decision making in life that gets frustrating.” He plays tennis, and likes to
go hiking, and exercise helps him control his disease. Then, at other times, it
can send him low; and suddenly his health is at risk.
When I
mention I started my cross-country ride at Acadia National Park, in Maine, he
says he’s hiked there with his family, and also in the Shenandoah Valley. I
tell him he should be sure to do the hike up “Old Rag.”
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Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. |
Obviously,
he’s tech savvy, so young Mr. Kavka would like those newly diagnosed with
type-1 diabetes to understand. Options for care have greatly improved since he
and his family first got the news. And it is the family that gets the
news – because diabetes is an all-consuming disease. Today, he can rely on his
continuous glucose monitoring system and no longer needs to wake up every night
to check his blood. Julianne keeps close watch on Adam and helps him manage his
care. Some of the biggest improvements came in “a wave,” Adam says, about ten
years ago, and “things are better than they ever were.”
Adam
laughs a little about the challenges he faces every day, but I know, from
watching my daughter, that dealing with type-1 diabetes is still a
grind. I asked what he remembers about first being diagnosed. He recalls
thinking, “This is something that happens to someone else.” Only it wasn’t.
It’s a disease brought on by a fluke autoimmune reaction, and it strikes almost
exclusively young people, always at random. You can’t guard against getting the
disease. There’s no vaccine you can take. So finding a cure is the ending
battle being waged by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Adam
doesn’t really complain. Rather, he feels lucky. He tells me his father retired
early, so both mom and dad were able to help him cope with his “new” type-1
life from the very start. His older sister Becky, and older brother, Danny,
both supported him, and mentions that Becky has two children, who bring his
parents “endless joy.” I had Becky as a student, too. Smart young lady.
Hard-working. Creative. Funny.
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Becky is in the striped dress - the Navarre and Kavka families. |
Adam tells
me he has fond memories of growing up in Loveland, Ohio, where he went to
school, and where I first met him in my seventh grade American history class.
Like his sister, he was a star student, but says he wasn’t interested in
computer science until later. I wonder what Becky is up to now? He says she’s
the head tax accountant for Scott’s, the lawncare company. As for fun, he
mentions he does a game night with friends almost every week, and Sunday
evenings are for “Movie Night” with Julianne.
I am
always looking for good movies to watch, and wonder if he has any
recommendations to offer.
“Civil
War,” he says, is good.
I should
have told him to see “The Holdovers,” but blanked out. So, if Adam and Julianne
read this, there’s a recommendation. Two thumbs up, if I count both my thumbs.
Four, if I count my wife’s.
So,
there you have it: two free movie reviews, and a quick update from the
frontlines of type-1 diabetes. Like our daughter Emily, who has been fighting
the same battle for almost as long, Adam Kavka can at least assure those just
receiving the bad news, there’s hope. Care has greatly improved. It will
continue to improve.
Today,
the challenge centers increasingly on finding a cure.
Adam
hopes that’s the next “wave.”
YOU CAN DONATE TO JDRF HERE.
POSTSCRIPT:
When I check up on a few details with Adam, he mentions that he and Julianne
have already seen “The Holdovers,” but I will let that recommendation stand for
anyone else who reads this.
As for “Old
Rag,” here’s a photo I like, from the top:
|
That's not me; but I took the photo. |
Post from 2007
Adam Kavka would tell you
he’s “a pretty typical college student,” and he is, except that he hopes to
pursue a PhD. in physics someday and says his dream job would be to work on the
CERN particle accelerator in Switzerland.
I first met Adam when he was in seventh grade and in my American history class.
It was obvious even then that he was going to be a success in the
future. Adam is gifted in mathematics, hardworking, and humble about his
talents, always funny and polite.
That year I missed three days of work when my daughter Emily, 14, was diagnosed
with type-1 diabetes and had to spend the time at Children’s Hospital. I
was tired and a little scared the day I came back to school, because our family
didn’t know what to expect. Adam waited until after class and then quietly
approached my desk. “If you have any questions about diabetes, I’d be
happy to talk,” he said.
I was deeply touched by Adam’s concern, his kindness and wisdom, at 13, to
approach someone four times his age and offer solace. Suddenly, I felt
better, knowing that someone so young could face up to this unfortunate
situation so bravely.
And I have seen the same courage from many other diabetic kids since.
Adam, himself, was first diagnosed in sixth grade. His father, John,
happened to read a story about a Pittsburgh Steelers player who had type-1
diabetes. A few days later he noticed Adam was struggling in one of his
soccer games. “You just didn’t seem to have much energy,” he told his son
when he came off the field at the end of the contest. Adam admitted he had
been tired and thirsty most of the game.
Dad knew then: Lack of energy, having to go to the bathroom constantly,
unexplained drop in weight. Adam might be diabetic.
Once the diagnosis was confirmed the Kavka family decided to make the best of
the worst situation. Patty, Adam’s mom, Becky, his sister (also a
fantastic former student), older brother Danny, and dad made it their mission
to help Adam any way they could. “We were very accepting,” dad remembers
today, “we had a health problem, and we had to deal with it the best we could.”
One of their few low moments came the first time they sent Adam out on
Halloween after his condition was diagnosed. “I have a terrible feeling
that Adam will be out there, and he’ll fall behind his friends, and be laying
there alone in the dark,” mom told dad. Adam made his rounds just
fine and has been handling his situation with success ever since. You know
you can’t let down, because the health ramifications can be great, but his A1C counts
are almost always under 7.0, which is like getting an A+ if you’re a type-1
diabetic. Adam is now on the pump, and, like our daughter Emily, has seen
real improvements in care options available in the last few years. JDRF
funding has been instrumental to new research.
Adam really isn’t a “diabetic.” It’s unfair to classify him in just that
way. He’s a freshman at Ohio State, with the usual freshman
concerns. He’s on the debate team and lives in an honors dorm. He
still plays the piano, as he did in the jazz band at Loveland Middle School and
Loveland High. He says he works a lot (no doubt true), has a good time,
and doesn’t worry because “worrying doesn’t get you anywhere.” Dad
says, “He’s a unique individual.”
That he is.
If worrying doesn’t get you anywhere talent and effort do and I believe Dr.
Kavka is going to be running that particle accelerator someday.
I also predict they’re going to cure this disease.
YOU CAN DONATE TO JDRF HERE.