Congenital Hyperinsulinism International is excited to announce our newest member of our Board of Trustees, Justyna Montemurro BSN, RN! Justyna joins the board from New Jersey as a wife to Jeff Montemurro and mother to three children with the ABCC8 gene: Myla (10), Lucas (7), and Remy (3). Justyna has 10 years of experience as a labor nurse and tells us that she “love[s] being there for moms during their happiest and scariest moments. Being a nurse has really given me a passion to help with early diagnosis of HI in newborns. I love to travel and enjoy trying new adventures.”
Justyna’s journey with hyperinsulinism began with her youngest son Remy’s diagnosis within his first week of life. Remy was initially on Diazoxide for about 2.5 years and has since passed his cure fast test and is now diet controlled with periodic sugar checks, though he continues to experience occasional lows during illnesses. He no longer requires use of a g-tube and has greatly advanced in his diet/feeding. Her two eldest children, Myla and Lucas never received any formal HI treatment due to their late diagnosis. Recently, Remy was diagnosed with some cardiac concerns that are now being closely monitored and may require medical intervention soon; it remains unknown if such issues have any correlation to his HI diagnosis. Remy started preschool this year, which was both exciting and scary for the Montemurro family as the school learned to manage his HI as a newly understood diagnosis. In 2022, Justyna and husband Jeff sat down with CHI to film an “HI-Story” available on our YouTube channel.
Justyna shared this message with us: “I am honored to join the CHI board of Trustees coming alongside others who are equally dedicated to this amazing cause. Having three kids who all share the same mutation gives me a passion to continue searching for a future without lows. I was fortunate to find this organization in our early stages of diagnosis and want to ensure that others know of the resources and value the CHI organization offers. I’m honored to give back to the CHI community both personally and professionally. I have a passion to fundraise for the sweetest cause, educate on early detection, and provide patient/family support. I look forward to growing within this organization as a newly welcomed board member.”
