WSVN — Brooke Miller has type-1 diabetes but that doesn’t stop this 14-year-old from running races and doing ballet.
Brooke Miller: “I’ve had to deal with it my whole life.”
When she was diagnosed at age three, it was a shock to her whole family.
Lynette Miller: “You suddenly have the responsibility of caring for your child 24 hours a day and diabetes is a very unpredictable disease.”
Pediatric Endocrinologist Dr. Robin Nemery at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital says the only way to control the disease is with insulin, because the pancreas can no longer produce it.
Dr. Robin Nemery: “They have to take multiple injections a day.”
Parents must check the child’s blood sugar levels constantly to make sure they’re not too low or too high.
Dr. Robin Nemery: “If their body is not getting enough insulin, over time it could make them very sick.”
Brooke Miller: “Sometimes I feel weak and shaky.”
Brooke uses an insulin pump to help keep her blood sugar levels stable.
Brooke Miller: “I just hit this button and there’s my blood sugar.”
But the real challenge always came during the night. While Brooke was sleeping, her mom just couldn’t rest.
Lynette Miller: “Consequently, I’m up many times a night checking her blood sugar to make sure she’s OK.”
However, thanks to new technology they started using a continuous glucose monitor. The device looks like a digital clock and sits on the parent’s nightstand. It alerts them if the child’s glucose levels become dangerous.
Dr. Robin Nemery: “It could be Mr. Toad’s wild ride, they could be up, they could be down, they can be fluctuating all over the place.”
Brooke’s insulin pump communicates wirelessly with the glucose monitor.
Lynette Miller: “If I’m getting an alarm and I see the blood sugar numbers not where it should be, I can go in and take care of it.”
Lynette then wakes her up and gives her juice to raise her glucose levels.
She calls the technology a life-saver.
Lynette Miller: “It gives us all peace of mind.”
For Brooke, it gives her the chance to keep living an active life.
Brooke Miller: “I want people to know that diabetes, even though it’s part of me, it’s not going to stop me from doing anything I want to do.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.medtronicdiabetes.com/mysentry
www.jdch.com