Meet Destany

I have had diabetes since the age of four. I honestly know nothing else. I don’t remember the activities that took place on the day of my diagnosis or how I felt, or how my parents felt. Growing up with a chronic illness means that you don’t have much of a childhood. Although for me, checking my blood sugar regularly, frequent injections and constant monitoring was normal. I’m seventeen now, a junior in high school. I have had this illness for thirteen years. That’s thirteen years living like a walking pin cushion. Growing up with this illness was extremely difficult. I was always an outcast and I always stood out. Throughout most of my adolescent years I wore an Omnipod. For those of you who do not know an Omnipod is a device worn on the body that constantly delivers insulin into your body and must be changed every three days. I wore this up until my freshman year of high school. This device always caused me to have a label, I always had something that stood out about me. What bothered me the most though was the constant questions about the device. People would ask where it was, what it did and if I was going to “die” if it came off. It was difficult not being the normal kid. Since being in high school diabetes has just been another thing. Of course I keep up with it and stay on top of what I need because I have to, but I don’t let diabetes define me. Diabetes is single handedly the most influential part of my life. It has made me grow up much faster than everyone else, earn a lot more responsibility and has shaped me into the person I am today. Do I wish that I would have had a more normal childhood, yes. I always wanted to be like everyone else, but at the same time without it I would not be the person I am today. Diabetes made me give up something I have loved since the age of seven. Freshman year I had to quit basketball, that has been one of the hardest things with having this illness.

Aside from being a diabetic though I am now the manager of my school basketball team and an employee of McDonald’s. I am an active student and I have some of the best friends I could ask for. I am a sister and a daughter. Most importantly though I am a fighter. I have fought for thirteen years and I will continue fighting until a cure is found. I will not give up or give in and most importantly I will not let diabetes define me, because the only thing in this world that defines me is myself, because I Define Me.