Laura & Brandon Bee: Their Fight To Bring Awareness To Diabetes

Laura, a jewelry designer based out of Southampton, noticed that after her son Brandon was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, that there was no symbol for the disease. That’s when she took matters into her own hands and designed a symbol and founded ‘A New Leaf For Diabetes.’ She hopes the leaf will become an international symbol of hope for people affected by diabetes.

Laura Bee has spent her entire life living and breathing the detrimental affects that Type 1 Diabetes has had on her 23-year-old son, Brandon Bee, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 10. With the help of Southampton Social Club’s annual 2013 Charity Hamptons Poker Challenge on Sept 1, she’s hoping to get the attention of the American Diabetes Association to make this the official symbol for the cause!

Laura Bee Creates ‘A New Leaf For Diabetes’ — Her Inspiration

Brandon was also diagnosed with ulcerative colitis later in life, and things got so bad for him that at one point doctors were worried his colon was at the point of perforation. That’s when he was raced into emergency surgery.
Laura tells us that it was while she sat in the waiting room at the hospital for Brandon to get out of surgery, she was flipping through a magazine and came across breast cancer’s international symbol: the pink ribbon.
“I thought to myself, diabetes doesn’t have a symbol,” she told us. “Why not? So that’s when I decided to show my son my commitment to his disease and to him and really do something for him. So I created the leaf.”
Laura didn’t just stop at creating the leaf, she founded a company and campaign called: “A New Leaf For Diabetes.” The mission is to raise diabetes awareness and help fun research.
She tells us that she felt the simple, single leaf would signify the symbol of life. Although the United Nations created a global symbol of the blue circle in 2006, it has not been made the official symbol for the cause, there is not one right now.

Brandon is one of the lucky ones. He survived. He has a deep inner strength that just refuses to give in to this disease. Likewise, modern medical advances in the battle to combat diabetes, allowed his life to be saved. Only a decade or so back, the life of a child in a similar situation would likely have been lost. We’ve gone through an additional 5 surgeries since. Brandon’s on the road to recovery, but his type 1 diabetes will have to managed for the rest of his life.

Southampton Social Club Hosts Poker Event For ‘A New Leaf For Diabetes’

Laura partnered with Southampton Social Club’s 2013 Charity Hamptons Poker Challenge, to be held on Sept. 1, to help bring awareness to her mission. The event, which is in its third year, is being presented by Haute Living and Paige Hospitality Group. It’s the perfect way to celebrate Labor Day weekend and give back.
Each ticket is $150 and gets you a seat at one of the poker tables, food and alcohol. Plus, the venue is gorgeous and there’s no better way to spend a summer afternoon.