Posted by Ellen on September 07, 2002 at 14:41:34:
Youngster spreads
word about diabetes
Drew Meanor, 9, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 3.
-- Todd Van Emst, Advertiser
Drew Meanor, 9, is a lot like any other fourth-grader at Wetumpka Intermediate School. He likes playing outside and going to camp, and he’s a straight-A student.
But Drew, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 3, has to be much more careful with his health than most of his classmates. He must prick his finger to check his blood sugar several times a day, and his body is dependent on a little insulin pump that he carries with him, every minute of every day.
He’s also become very involved in the battle to find a cure for diabetes, with the help of his mom, Kristy Meanor, who works for the American Diabetes Association. Drew is comfortable talking about the disease that’s been a part of his life as long as he can remember, and he has become adept at telling strangers how he’s learned to cope.
But he’s fortunate to have the support of his family – his mom; his dad, Ron; his sister, Laurel, 14; and his brother Colgan, 8. The family takes part in diabetes fund-raisers and attends weekend gatherings at Camp Seale Harris, which is at Camp ASCCA, to learn how to help Drew live with his disease.
With the help of his mom, Drew talked to Advertiser assistant features editor Allison Griffin about living with diabetes and his hope that a cure will be found. He started by talking about how he was diagnosed:
Drew: I had a really bad case of the chicken pox. We went to the doctor, and he said I think you need to see another doctor. That doctor took my blood sugar, and then he called us the next day and he said to come down here quick. My blood sugar was over 1,000.
Kristy: You were only 3 when you had that. Can you remember that?
Drew: The only thing I can remember is you waking me up, and being in the hospital.
Kristy: He had the chicken pox in May before he was diagnosed in November. It’s not unusual for a child to be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after a viral infection. But what we noticed was that he was drinking bottle after bottle – he was out of diapers like crazy. He was losing weight, he was very hungry, and was just getting real lethargic as the days went by. Very classic symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.
Drew: Type 1 diabetes means you don’t have any insulin working in your pancreas.
I can’t eat candy that much. I have to drink and eat stuff that is non-sugared. Sometimes I can eat candy if my blood sugar is around 80 to 180.
I can do things that other kids can do. I can play outside, and go fishing. Sometimes playing hard can make my blood sugar go down. Today after P.E., I felt low, and I got up and checked myself and I went down to the nurses’ office and told them how I felt.
We’re trying to find a cure. These last few years, we’ve done the walk for diabetes. We’ve raised over 7 million thousand dollars.
Kristy: (chuckling) We have raised a lot of money. Every year since he’s been diagnosed, we’ve had a family team, with friends of the family, to participate in the walk.
Drew: Last year we did “a dollar for diabetes,” and the kids at school bought stars to put on the wall. If you put in one dollar, you got one star.
The money helps a place called Camp Seale Harris. It’s for kids with diabetes, and they have counselors who have diabetes. And my mom works there with the Diabetes Association. They do archery and swimming, and kids learn about counting carbs. Some kids do their first injections and learn to prick their fingers.
Kristy: And they have camps for families on the weekends, and we all go as a family.
Not long ago, Drew spoke at a corporate breakfast to business leaders from Montgomery and we shared his story, about how he was diagnosed with diabetes and about living with it and the challenges he faces. He did this for me, to promote awareness about diabetes and to encourage the community to get involved with America’s Walk for Diabetes.
Drew: They’re working on a cure right now, but they’re not ready for it yet.
Kristy: He’s hopeful. Not long ago, he said that if they find a cure, we won’t have Camp Seale Harris anymore! I told him, what were we going to have?
Drew: A big party!
Kristy: That’s right – a big party to celebrate.
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