Jobe Bell

I am trekking Kokoda for my brother Parker to raise money and awareness for the type 1 foundation


October 28th 2021 our world was turned upside down.

My brother who was 6 at the time and in Prep, was starting to urinate more frequently, wetting the bed and incredibly thirsty. My parents kept thinking it was just a ‘phase’.

My Mum emailed Parkers teacher to see if he was showing these signs in the classroom. She wrote back straight away confirming he was. Within no time our school admin staff had called and said to take him to a GP straight after school.

After a very brief conversation and a finger prick, we were rushed to Monash Childrens Hospital. Parkers blood glucose level was 65 and he was extremely unwell.
After 7 days we were finally discharged and our journey managing this complex condition begins.

Parker has 4 injections a day, wears a Dexacom blood glucose monitor on his arm that reads his levels to a mobile phone, we monitor him 24/7 and ride the roller coaster that type 1 diabetes brings on a daily basis.
Apart from the Dexacom there is no visible signs that he is a part of the Type 1 club, his bravery, courage and perseverance in dealing with this demanding condition both amazes and humbles me, I'm so proud of my brother.

When Parker was diagnosed, my family knew nothing about Type 1 Diabetes and are now hoping to spread the word in the hope that other families can recognise the signs and seek treatment early.

In addition to our family's quest to increase awareness about Type 1, I am participating in the Kokoda Trek for Type 1 occurring on the
12TH – 21ST August. The trek is 96 kms through the PNG tropical jungle taking 10 days to complete.

The Type 1 Foundation is a non-for-profit charity with the aim of raising awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and providing support for families living with this life-long disease. The Foundation’s efforts at linking individuals and families through dialogue and sponsored activities is incredibly helpful in sharing knowledge and experience throughout the community.

Thanks for visiting my Fundraising Page for TREK KOKODA FOR TYPE1 !
You can sponsor me and leave a message by selecting the donate button above.
Thanks for supporting our efforts in raising money for this cause! support our Trekkers as they trek the Kokoda Trail for 9 days in August 2025!