Everyday Kids

Danny, 15

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 14

Q. What sports do you like to play?
A. Motocross

Q. What’s your favorite professional team?
A. Factory Kawasaki

Q. What’s something you hope to try in the future?
A. I’ve always wanted to ride on a factory team

Q. What’s the best advice you could give to another kids with diabetes?
A. I’ve only had diabetes for 5 months and it hasn’t stopped me from doing anything so I’d say, it’s not that bad and after awhile, you’ll get used to it.

Ashleigh, 11

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 4

Q. How has diabetes changed your life?
A. It made me realize that it’s ok to be different

Q. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A. Either become a vet of a pro tennis player

Q. Why do you volunteer for the ADA?
A. To tell people about diabetes and to let other kids know that they are not weird – that you are not your disease.

Brianna, 12

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. Almost 5

Q. What sports do you like to play?
A. I hate sports overall but I like to play badminton and I work out to tone up (to not be skinny)

Q. What’s the best thing about having diabetes?
A. Eating when no one else at school can. :-)

Q. What’s your favorite junk food?
A. I love ice cream! I just give myself the according insulin... same with candy and chocolate!

Q. Where’s the most unusual place you’ve tested your blood glucose?
A. I tested my blood sugar in a golf cart next to monkeys and crabs in Costa Rica.

Ian, 15

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 11

Q. How has diabetes opened doors for you that you never would have been interested in otherwise?
A. It has introduced me into a community of great kids who share the same issues as I do with my diabetes and they have become life long friends.

Q. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A. A lawyer and a public servant

Q. What’s your favorite food?
A. Soup

Madi, 12

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 5 years old, in kindergarten

Q. What’s your favorite music group?
A. I like a lot of different kinds of music. I really like Billy Joel and the Beatles. I like a lot of the 80s music but I like some of the more current music too.

Q. What sports do you like to play?
A. I play roller hockey in a North American Travel Roller Hockey League and on a local roller hockey team.

Q. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A. My life ambition is to become a performing artist. I want to be an actress, pianist, dancer, singer and model.

Q. What’s your favorite junk food?
A. Herr’s Cheese Popcorn! Since popcorn is low-carb I can have it as snack. 3 cups=13 grams!

Logan, 13

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 2

Q. If a cure for diabetes were found tomorrow, what would you do with that extra time since you won’t have to test, take shots, count carbs, etc anymore?
A. I’d try to get my money back for all the needles and alcohol swabs I have!

Q. Where’s the most unusual place you have ever tested your blood glucose?
A. Going down a white water rapid in Utah with my dad!

Q. What’s your favorite professional sports team?
A. Pittsburgh Steelers

Kelsey, 13

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 14 months old

Q. What’s your favorite song?
A. Baby Bash and Do it well by Jennifer Lopez

Q. What do you like to do “just for fun?”
A. I like to read, play sports and talk to friends

Q. As an ADA volunteer, what are you most proud of doing?
A. Going to Call to Congress and meeting with Congress

Kayla, 13

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 14 months

Q. What’s your favorite song?
A. Apologize, Rockstar, and I hate that I love you.

Q. Do you participate in school activities? If yes, what are they?
A. I play field hockey for my school, and I am also in student government and the newspaper club.

Q. What’s something you’d like to try in the future?
A. I hope to try to become ADA’s National Youth Advocate because I really enjoy helping kids and families deal with their diabetes and educating others on diabetes.

Amy, 15

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 12

Q. What sports do you like to play?
A. I love cycling, Tae Kwon Do, dance, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, and dodgeball

Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I have 4 dogs (Mocha, Opie, CeCe and Roxy), a bearded dragon (Cobain) and a Chinese water dragon (Napoleon).

Q. What’s the best thing about having diabetes?
A. There’s nothing better than educating others about this disease and helping people make themselves healthier and better prepared for a long life ahead.

Maddie, 12

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 4

Q. Where’s the most unusual place you have ever tested your blood glucose?
A. Backstage in the dark during a production of Peter Pan. My sugars were going crazy so in between scenes I was always pricking my finger and eating or taking insulin.

Q. How has diabetes changed your life?
A. I’ve gone to Camp Carolina Trails, an ADA Camp where I have met many different wonderful people and have made so many memories. I’ve also used my singing talent to raise money for a cure. I am a opera/classical singer and when I was 7, I made a CD. All the contributions were given to find a cure.

Q. What do you like to do “just for fun?”
A. I love to sing, dance, draw, paint, read, write, act and go horseback riding. Recently, I was the winner of the CBS Early Show Living Room Live Kids’ Edition Contest. I was flown up to New York to perform on the show live!

Hunter, 11

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 7

Q. What’s your favorite professional sports team?
A. Duh, the Indianapolis COLTS!

Q. What’s something you’d like to do/try in the future?
A. I’ve never been skiing before.

Q. As an ADA volunteer, what are you most proud of doing?
A. Helping pass a law in Indiana to keep children [with diabetes safe at school] and being the Master of Ceremonies at this year’s ADA Gala. I thought it was very cool going to ADA’s National Office to make a video about why being an advocate is sooooo important.

Taylor, 13

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 5

Q. What is the best thing about having diabetes?
A. Going to summer Camp for a week and not having to be alone with my diabetes. Diabetes is a second thought at Camp

Q. What’s your favorite song?
A. G.N.O. by Miley Cyrus

Q. What is the best advice you could give another kid with diabetes?
A. Don’t be ashamed about diabetes, be proud of it!

Q. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be?
A. I would visit Paris.

Sarah, 18

Q. How old were you when you were diagnosed?
A. 3

Q. What’s something you hope to try in the future?
A. More than anything, I would love to travel around the world to teach and raise awareness about diabetes

Q. What’s your favorite song?
A. The Great Escape by Boys like Girls

Q. What do you like to do "just for fun"?
A. I love to play sports, hang out with friends, read, draw, listen to music and dance