My name is Allison. I am an 11 year old girl who loves baton twirling, designing dresses, and (especially) anything Disney. In late December 2013 I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I was 9 years old at the time. Immediately before being diagnosed, I was thrilled that a visit from Santa Claus was just four days away. Little did I know that my whole life was about to change.

That morning my 4^th grade class was having a holiday party. I was sucking down Hawaiian Punch pouches and eating chips and many cookies. What a party! My mom was there for a little while as a helper. She went home when the party was over but needed to come back an hour later to take me to the hospital.   She had received a call from the doctor. Two weeks before I had fainted in chorus and the doctor had ordered blood work. Turns out I had Type 1 Diabetes!

In the hospital, I needed to get shots; a lot of them. I got many needles in my fingers to test my blood. I received needles in my stomach before every meal and another needle before bed. My family quickly learned that Allison doesn’t like needles. I tried to understand that forever I would need shots several times a day, and prick my finger – ON PURPOSE – to squeeze out blood!

Dealing with this was difficult for my family; their heartbreak was made worse by seeing me cry in the hospital, begging, “Please, I want to go home. I want my old life back.” My mom and dad couldn’t give me my old life back, but they learned how to deal with the disease. Learning how to administer the insulin shots I needed wasn’t so hard. Giving me those shots was another story. Allison really doesn’t like needles.

What helped was the staff at Stony Brook Hospital. We were admitted to the Hospital at the right time. The children’s wing was overflowing with presents and the nurses couldn’t give them to me fast enough. Giving me presents seemed to bring joy to the nurses. I helped spread that joy by taking them.

I got dismissed from the hospital just in time to enjoy Christmas at home. Life has been a challenge since. Getting fitted for an insulin pump has helped, but I still feel the pain of needles. My fingers need to get pricked more than 5 times a day to test my blood. My mom wakes me up in the middle of the night, every night to do so. One night I dreamed my fingers were on fire when my mom was pricking me. Also, the pump is connected to my body by a needle, which needs changing every 3 days.

This has been very hard, but I don’t let Diabetes stop me. I am on a baton twirling team; I play the violin in my school orchestra; I have my own dress design website; and I just got a part in my school production of Aladdin. I wish I didn’t have Diabetes, but I’m doing alright.

Please consider making a Fund A Cure donation in honor of Allison and others living with T1D by clicking here.