October 28, 2009 is the day that Shamae found me.  Nate has been diagnosed with Type 1 for just over a month and I felt like I was drowning in sadness, overwhelmed by diabetes and longing for a community of people that understood how I felt.  She commented on my blog post that day and so began a friendship that will remain in my heart forever.  She played a huge role in helping me survive the darkest time in my life. How do you repay someone for that?

When we 1st met online there was a smaller group of D mommy bloggers and we all read and commented on each other's posts religiously.  We became a family.  Commenting, texting, calling and those amazing Sunday night chats.  I looked forward to those chats all week.  I can vividly remember our conversations.  We shared about diabetes and so much more.  We laughed and cried on those chats and the bond we formed became unbreakable.  Unbreakable!

Life moved forward and the Type 1 Mom blogging community exploded!  We found each other on Facebook and the Sunday night chats faded.  Our littles got older and our blog posts grew further apart but my friendship with Shamae did not.  She was so good about calling and texting.  We texted each other so much sometimes just to say I love you that we had our own code for it . . . DNQ.

As I learned of her passing this weekend I read countless posts from D moms all over the country saying the same things.  She was the 1st D Mom that they met online, she always had a smile on her face, she was a lifeline to them, she would call or text and lift their spirits with her kind words . . . it goes on and on.  Not that I thought I had the exclusive on Shamae's friendship but I have been BLOWN AWAY by how many people she touched.

I do not think for one minute that this post is an adequate tribute to such an amazing woman.  If I could find the words to tell you what is in my broken heart right now it might begin to do her justice.

I hope her family knows and is comforted by the fact that Shamae's strength, love and support helped build a community of strong moms that will continue her legacy by always supporting one another! We will also openly welcome  mothers with newly diagnosed children into the community with love just like she did for all of us.

It is what she would want us to do.

Sham made this awesome video years ago. I can't stop watching it and thinking about how far we have come and how so much of that has to do with her!!