Displayed at Press Coffee through March 1st is 150 strings of beads; some bulbous with bright, warm colors, while others are more delicate and ornate. Hung in shadow boxes and displayed on busts throughout the shop, every piece was put together with care by Nicki Maurus. The necklaces are designed to sit near the heart to show love for her daughter, Neely, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for the last ten years. Proceeds from every sale will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Nicki’s passion project was inspired by Neely’s adaptability, patience, and positive attitude as she deals with type 1 diabetes every day. 64,000 people are diagnosed with t1d, often called juvenile diabetes, every year in the United States. With no concrete way to predict t1d and vague symptoms such as headaches, thirst, weight loss, and fatigue, it can be difficult to see coming until it starts to take a toll on the body. Thankfully, Nicki’s husband Peter is an orthopedic surgeon and his medical eye caught on when Neely started to show signs of it when she was seven.

Diabetes occurs when the body stops producing enough insulin (type 1) or when the body stops reacting to it appropriately (type 2). As in Neely’s case, t1d is because of an autoimmune response which means that the body destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Without proper insulin levels, the body can’t metabolize food properly and if gone unchecked, it could cause a potentially deadly complication called Diabetic Ketoacidosis. This all means that people with t1d have to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels and have insulin injections to keep things balanced throughout the day.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the largest provider in the world to give charity-based funding to t1d research. The end goal is to find a cure, but in the meantime, research has led to innovative changes to the way people deal with their diabetes. Neely once had to stick her finger up to ten times a day to check her glucose levels, even in the middle of the night, but now she wears a monitor that continuously checks her levels and provides information on a smartphone or tablet. Nicki joined the executive board for the Eastern Iowa chapter of JDRF in 2013 and the JDRF One Walk in 2016. Team Neely has become one of their highest all-time earners in just a few short years at over $53,000. (Join the walk in Cedar Rapids May 9th!)

College was where Nicki’s eye for colors and textures began while majoring in History and French at Northwestern University. Her education not only gave her an appreciation for the cultures of African countries that were colonized by France, but took her studies abroad to Paris as well. There she stayed with a family that was across the river from the Louvre Museum and the Quai d’Orsay, two inspiring places she frequented regularly. More recently, while on a trip to Chicago to take Margaux to a Second City Camp, Nicki stumbled upon a bead store called String a Strand. There she learned bead stringing basics and honed her preference for organic and vintage beads.

When the diagnosis was discovered, Nicki not only had two young girls to take care of but also one with a full-time health condition to help manage. Now that they are both older and Neely’s care has become more routine and manageable, Nicki found she had some extra time on her hands. Last summer she joined her love of accessories with a desire to support the JDRF which led to the creation of Necklaces for Neely. She sources materials from third world countries and locally at Beadology. Many are organic, upcycled, and vintage beads with some made from vinyl records, bone, and naturally shed water buffalo horns.

The opening reception for Necklaces for Neely will be Wednesday, February 5th from 6-8 pm. Nicki’s work will continue to hang at Press through the month of February and serves as the soft opening for her jewelry. Her long-term plan is to put her necklaces on Etsy so she can continue creating, selling, and donating to the JDRF. You can also follow her on Instagram @necklacesforneely or e-mail her about purchasing one of the necklaces on display: nicolemaurus@hotmail.com.