At three-years-old, fun-loving Ellie Creps visited the doctor to be treated for, what was thought to be, an ear infection. After returning home with an antibiotic treatment prescribed by her pediatrician, Ellie’s parents, Mark and Sonja Creps, noticed some odd changes in their daughter’s behavior.

Ellie started using the bathroom more often and was very lethargic, in addition to showing a change in her usual eating habits. These bizarre habits drove Mark and Sonja to give Ellie’s doctor a call.

The nurse on call at the doctor’s office told Sonja over the phone to simply “monitor her actions for a few days.” After two days with no change or improvements, the Creps decided to take Ellie to the doctor’s office where they discovered her blood sugar level was in the high 400s. Ellie was immediately admitted to the emergency room where she was ultimately diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

“It took us a couple of months before we got into an actual day-to-day routine,” said Mark. Managing T1D is a 24/7 job and, after being diagnosed, Ellie’s life changed tremendously. Mark added, “Her carefree childhood essentially disappeared.”

Since her diagnosis, Ellie has to check her blood sugar approximately eight to 10 times throughout the day, wherever she may be. Additionally, Ellie and her family have been tasked with carb counting every meal and snack.

Although the frequent checks seem abrasive, Ellie doesn’t let anything stop her from doing what she loves.

Today, Ellie is a cheerful, energetic 8-year-old girl. She loves to do gymnastics, swim and hang out with her friends. She has been doing gymnastics for roughly three years, and swimming for four.

This year, the Creps will trot together for their second year in a row as Ellie’s Type 1 Trotters at the Breakthrough T1D One Walk in Dexter on Sept. 18.

“Ellie is a very healthy, happy, eight-year-old. She’s tough, but she has accepted it, and she is living her live with diabetes,” said Mark. “Although there are many tedious, time-consuming obstacles, it is possible to live your life to the fullest with T1D, and Ellie is proof of that.”

For more information, or to get involved in the Breakthrough T1D One Walk event, visit: walk.jdrf.org.