By Devin Bates
Sports Intern, WSU ‘18
Westfield resident and avid runner Manny Sardinha is set to lace up his sneakers once again for the 2017 Boston Marathon, and this time, he has a mission.
Sardinha will look to raise money for Joslin Diabetes Center in honor of his sister, Teresa, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2014.
Back then, Manny was helping Teresa train for a half marathon when she began to feel sick during longer runs. The two would often attribute the sickness to hot weather and dehydration, both common factors in fatigue among runners.
Pictured, from left to right, are: Paul, Manny, and Teresa Sardinha. (Submitted photo)
Teresa was able to work through the struggle, however, and was set to compete in the half marathon. On race day, things started out promising, but by the ninth mile she had begun to cramp up. Teresa was able to finish the 13.1 mile course, but by the time she crossed the finish line, she was suffering from extreme fatigue and blurred vision.
As it turned out, Teresa had a blood sugar level of 449. Normal blood sugar levels range from 70 to 120. Due to this extremely high level, doctors feared that Teresa was in danger of slipping into a coma.
Since that day, Teresa has been a patient at Joslin Diabetes Center, the same organization her brother is running for in this year’s Boston Marathon.
When Manny crosses the finish line on April 17, he will do so knowing that his efforts have made a direct impact on people like Teresa who struggle with diabetes every day.
“I hope that the funds I raise for Team Joslin will help Joslin to find a cure for diabetes,” said Manny.
As of Thursday, Sardina has raised over $3,800 for Joslin Diabetes Center.
“My dream is to have a world free of diabetes and that everyone who needs care will have access to it,” said Manny. If the 44-year old keeps this up much longer, his dream might just become reality.
