Meet Eileen

I’m Eileen and I was a 7-year-old type 1 diabetic when I was diagnosed in the early 1960s. No pumps, no A1Cs, used glass syringes to inject insulin—I was my pediatrician’s first diabetic patient he ever treated. My mom learned everything regarding food and food exchanges and taught me everything she knew. I am forever grateful to her. I too went to Camp NYDA in upstate NY and from the great experiences I had there, I knew I would become a RN. I learned to stand up for myself as prejudice sometimes showed its ugly face. There have been numerous ups and downs with diabetes during the years but I always managed to do what I wanted to accomplish. I got married, had three healthy children, traveled, and had 46 wonderful years as a nurse before I retired. 

Kids, never give up. You can be and do anything/all you dream of but you need to take ownership of diabetes. It doesn’t go away; it can damage your health. Be conscious of the choices you make. Parents, be patient and willing to really listen and hear what your child is saying. Kids make mistakes—let them—but make it a teachable positive moment for the future.