The truth behind Type 1

Diabetes Mellitus or Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed. At this point, the body cannot produce the insulin it needs. Insulin guides the sugar in one’s blood to other parts of the body, including the brain, muscles, and tissues. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, resulting in high blood sugar which can lea...

At the age of 6, most children live without a care in the world.  Most first graders don’t worry about the responsibilities of living with a chronic disease; however, when 6-year-old Madeleine Cunningham walked into the doctor’s office after experiencing unusual symptoms, her parents received unexpected news. Their daughter had Type 1 diabetes.  Without much prior knowledge of the dis...

Starting high school is scary for most people, but it’s especially scary when you're going to a high school in a new state with all new people. To make it even more terrifying, imagine being diagnosed with a disease that you barely know anything about, only five months before. This was reality for sophomore Makya Whiting.  Whiting was 14 when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. This meant she nee...