Keeping Drivers with Diabetes Safe
April 26, 2015 was a day we will never forget. The day we lost our precious daughter and sister, Alyssa Brooke Zepeda.
20 year old Alyssa was like most young women her age--busy with school, work, and her boyfriend. She was studying to be a teacher and was able to substitute teach while getting her degree. But Alyssa also had one more thing on her plate--the management of her Type 1 Diabetes (also known as Juvenile Diabetes).
On that Sunday, she was heading out to attend a dance recital with her boyfriend. At some point, her car veered into a ditch. Alyssa overcorrected, crossed the centerline and was struck by an on-coming vehicle. Alyssa was not wearing her seatbelt; however, investigating Trooper Toby Cameron reported that a seat belt would not have made a difference.
As we have struggled with our grief, we have searched for answers as to how and why this happened. Based on discussions with the State Troopers, First Responders, witnesses, and her endocrinologist, we believe that Alyssa was in a hyperglycemic state at the time of the accident. We knew that low blood sugar presented a threat to her safety behind the wheel, but we never dreamed that high blood sugar could have such an impact on her ability to drive. We know that some people become more aggressive when their blood sugar is high which could lead to being more aggressive while driving.
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We do not want another family to go through the pain we are feeling. We were at a loss as to how to help others, so we reached out to our local JDRF chapter and they, in turn, connected us with a member of ProjectBlueNovember.
And ALYSSA'S PROMISE was born. A promise to educate those with diabetes, their families, and First Responders about the dangers of driving with high or low blood sugar levels.
If you have diabetes, we ask you to promise your loved ones that you will take the necessary precautions for safe driving.
If you are the parent or caregiver of a teen with diabetes, we ask you to have your teen sign a driving contract with real consequences for driving without checking blood sugar.
If you are a first responder, we ask you to help educate your fellow first responders about the signs of high and low blood sugar and how to deal with each.
If Alyssa's death can prevent one other person with diabetes from dying in a car accident, her goal to be an educator will have been fulfilled.
That's ALSSYA'S PROMISE.
ALYSSA ZEPEDA
