on May 15th I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and ten nights before this I
diabetes and ten nights before this I
diabetes and ten nights before this I woke up extremely thirsty and tired but
woke up extremely thirsty and tired but
woke up extremely thirsty and tired but without a care in the world and that
without a care in the world and that
without a care in the world and that night when I went to bed I had diabetes
night when I went to bed I had diabetes
night when I went to bed I had diabetes I of course didn’t know that I had
I of course didn’t know that I had
I of course didn’t know that I had diabetes but a couple nights after this
diabetes but a couple nights after this
diabetes but a couple nights after this I realized that I had gone to the
I realized that I had gone to the
I realized that I had gone to the bathroom at least three times in the
bathroom at least three times in the
bathroom at least three times in the past hour and I looked around my room
past hour and I looked around my room
past hour and I looked around my room and there were empty water bottles all
and there were empty water bottles all
and there were empty water bottles all over the place and this is when I
over the place and this is when I
over the place and this is when I realized that I had gotten up in the
realized that I had gotten up in the
realized that I had gotten up in the middle of the night to drink from my
middle of the night to drink from my
middle of the night to drink from my sink because I had ran out of water and
sink because I had ran out of water and
sink because I had ran out of water and all of a sudden I felt really sick so I
all of a sudden I felt really sick so I
all of a sudden I felt really sick so I ran upstairs and told my mom what was
ran upstairs and told my mom what was
ran upstairs and told my mom what was going on my mom also has type 1 diabetes
going on my mom also has type 1 diabetes
going on my mom also has type 1 diabetes so she know she knew what was happening
so she know she knew what was happening
so she know she knew what was happening immediately she said I could go to the
immediately she said I could go to the
immediately she said I could go to the doctors the next day and nothing was
doctors the next day and nothing was
doctors the next day and nothing was wrong the next day I was ecstatic about
wrong the next day I was ecstatic about
wrong the next day I was ecstatic about missing school but when I got there they
missing school but when I got there they
missing school but when I got there they had me urinate in a plastic cup and I
had me urinate in a plastic cup and I
had me urinate in a plastic cup and I thought excuse me I’m only here because
thought excuse me I’m only here because
thought excuse me I’m only here because I have a cold a little while later the
I have a cold a little while later the
I have a cold a little while later the doctor came into our room she placed her
doctor came into our room she placed her
doctor came into our room she placed her hands on my knees and told me that I was
hands on my knees and told me that I was
hands on my knees and told me that I was a strong and beautiful and capable of
a strong and beautiful and capable of
a strong and beautiful and capable of anything and that I had type 1 diabetes
anything and that I had type 1 diabetes
anything and that I had type 1 diabetes at the time all I knew about diabetes
at the time all I knew about diabetes
at the time all I knew about diabetes was that you have to test your blood and
was that you have to test your blood and
was that you have to test your blood and give yourself shots every day so I was
give yourself shots every day so I was
give yourself shots every day so I was freaking out and so many questions were
freaking out and so many questions were
freaking out and so many questions were running through my head but I realized
running through my head but I realized
running through my head but I realized that she was still talking she said that
that she was still talking she said that
that she was still talking she said that the hospital was expecting me in about
the hospital was expecting me in about
the hospital was expecting me in about an hour and I had time to go home and
an hour and I had time to go home and
an hour and I had time to go home and get anything I needed my mom didn’t tell
get anything I needed my mom didn’t tell
get anything I needed my mom didn’t tell me that I had diabetes that night
me that I had diabetes that night
me that I had diabetes that night because she wanted me to have my last
because she wanted me to have my last
because she wanted me to have my last night of freedom free from the stress of
night of freedom free from the stress of
night of freedom free from the stress of t1d and as I was walking out of the
t1d and as I was walking out of the
t1d and as I was walking out of the doctor’s office all I was thinking about
doctor’s office all I was thinking about
doctor’s office all I was thinking about was how I needed my little sister so I
was how I needed my little sister so I
was how I needed my little sister so I was quiet the whole drive until we
was quiet the whole drive until we
was quiet the whole drive until we picked her up she got in the car and I
picked her up she got in the car and I
picked her up she got in the car and I explained what had happened and that she
explained what had happened and that she
explained what had happened and that she was the first person that I wanted to
was the first person that I wanted to
was the first person that I wanted to tell she was only eight years old
tell she was only eight years old
tell she was only eight years old so she was a little confused and she was
so she was a little confused and she was
so she was a little confused and she was looking back and forth in between my mom
looking back and forth in between my mom
looking back and forth in between my mom and I and then she started to giggle and
and I and then she started to giggle and
and I and then she started to giggle and this made me laugh and I didn’t feel
this made me laugh and I didn’t feel
this made me laugh and I didn’t feel like she was laughing at me and the fact
like she was laughing at me and the fact
like she was laughing at me and the fact that I had diabetes but I felt like she
that I had diabetes but I felt like she
that I had diabetes but I felt like she was laughing just to laugh I got home I
was laughing just to laugh I got home I
was laughing just to laugh I got home I packed my things and I left I was
packed my things and I left I was
packed my things and I left I was walking into the hospital when my mom
walking into the hospital when my mom
walking into the hospital when my mom said that my best friend was on the
said that my best friend was on the
said that my best friend was on the phone she asked me where I was why
phone she asked me where I was why
phone she asked me where I was why wasn’t at school if I was okay and if
wasn’t at school if I was okay and if
wasn’t at school if I was okay and if anything had happened I told her that I
anything had happened I told her that I
anything had happened I told her that I was walking into the hospital after a
was walking into the hospital after a
was walking into the hospital after a couple seconds of silence she whispers
couple seconds of silence she whispers
couple seconds of silence she whispers oh shoot did you break your leg I
oh shoot did you break your leg I
oh shoot did you break your leg I giggled a little took a deep breath and
giggled a little took a deep breath and
giggled a little took a deep breath and told her that I had just been diagnosed
told her that I had just been diagnosed
told her that I had just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes then there was just
with type 1 diabetes then there was just
with type 1 diabetes then there was just silence and after that muffled crying
silence and after that muffled crying
silence and after that muffled crying and this made me so nervous but I
and this made me so nervous but I
and this made me so nervous but I realized that I couldn’t be afraid of
realized that I couldn’t be afraid of
realized that I couldn’t be afraid of who I was and when I got back from the
who I was and when I got back from the
who I was and when I got back from the hospital I started to have a complete
hospital I started to have a complete
hospital I started to have a complete meltdown and I decided that I wasn’t
meltdown and I decided that I wasn’t
meltdown and I decided that I wasn’t going to have anything to do with
going to have anything to do with
going to have anything to do with diabetes I wasn’t going to dose and I
diabetes I wasn’t going to dose and I
diabetes I wasn’t going to dose and I wasn’t going to care but I quickly
wasn’t going to care but I quickly
wasn’t going to care but I quickly realized that this was not the best
realized that this was not the best
realized that this was not the best solution and it was hurting me way more
solution and it was hurting me way more
solution and it was hurting me way more than it was helping my mom came over and
than it was helping my mom came over and
than it was helping my mom came over and told me that if she could she would take
told me that if she could she would take
told me that if she could she would take diabetes from me and she sat me down and
diabetes from me and she sat me down and
diabetes from me and she sat me down and told me that everyone has something and
told me that everyone has something and
told me that everyone has something and this is my something and it’s true
this is my something and it’s true
this is my something and it’s true everyone has something but on Monday I
everyone has something but on Monday I
everyone has something but on Monday I had my parents drive me to school
had my parents drive me to school
had my parents drive me to school because I didn’t want to see my friends
because I didn’t want to see my friends
because I didn’t want to see my friends on the bus and I didn’t want any
on the bus and I didn’t want any
on the bus and I didn’t want any attention drawn to me when I got to
attention drawn to me when I got to
attention drawn to me when I got to school I buried my face in my coat and
school I buried my face in my coat and
school I buried my face in my coat and ran up the stairs to my locker I noticed
ran up the stairs to my locker I noticed
ran up the stairs to my locker I noticed that there were an odd number of people
that there were an odd number of people
that there were an odd number of people surrounding the area but I figured it
surrounding the area but I figured it
surrounding the area but I figured it was someone’s birthday as I got closer I
was someone’s birthday as I got closer I
was someone’s birthday as I got closer I noticed that all of those people were
noticed that all of those people were
noticed that all of those people were surrounding my locker and I went
surrounding my locker and I went
surrounding my locker and I went completely red I found out that my
completely red I found out that my
completely red I found out that my friends had gone to school early to
friends had gone to school early to
friends had gone to school early to decorate my locker and they had went out
decorate my locker and they had went out
decorate my locker and they had went out and bought all sorts of gifts to
and bought all sorts of gifts to
and bought all sorts of gifts to and people I didn’t even know had
and people I didn’t even know had
and people I didn’t even know had written me letters explaining how I
written me letters explaining how I
written me letters explaining how I could I was capable of anything
could I was capable of anything
could I was capable of anything and this is when this is again when I
and this is when this is again when I
and this is when this is again when I figured out that I couldn’t be afraid of
figured out that I couldn’t be afraid of
figured out that I couldn’t be afraid of who I was and I had to embrace it but
who I was and I had to embrace it but
who I was and I had to embrace it but it’s been hard and I’ve tried really
it’s been hard and I’ve tried really
it’s been hard and I’ve tried really hard to stay open and positive about
hard to stay open and positive about
hard to stay open and positive about diabetes but people just don’t
diabetes but people just don’t
diabetes but people just don’t understand the difference between type 1
understand the difference between type 1
understand the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes which are totally
and type 2 diabetes which are totally
and type 2 diabetes which are totally different things and I was made fun of a
different things and I was made fun of a
different things and I was made fun of a lot because of it and I’ve had to
lot because of it and I’ve had to
lot because of it and I’ve had to explain to tons of people that I’m the
explain to tons of people that I’m the
explain to tons of people that I’m the same person and I can do the exact same
same person and I can do the exact same
same person and I can do the exact same things that they can and they just don’t
things that they can and they just don’t
things that they can and they just don’t understand but my sister said that
understand but my sister said that
understand but my sister said that they’re always going to be people like
they’re always going to be people like
they’re always going to be people like that in the world and you either have to
that in the world and you either have to
that in the world and you either have to push past them or push them down and if
push past them or push them down and if
push past them or push them down and if I hadn’t have gotten diabetes I wouldn’t
I hadn’t have gotten diabetes I wouldn’t
I hadn’t have gotten diabetes I wouldn’t have been able to meet my best friend
have been able to meet my best friend
have been able to meet my best friend who also has t1d and don’t get me wrong
who also has t1d and don’t get me wrong
who also has t1d and don’t get me wrong diabetes is awful but I’ve had the
diabetes is awful but I’ve had the
diabetes is awful but I’ve had the opportunity to do amazing things because
opportunity to do amazing things because
opportunity to do amazing things because of it and for example over this past
of it and for example over this past
of it and for example over this past summer I was chosen along with two other
summer I was chosen along with two other
summer I was chosen along with two other kids to represent the state of Utah in
kids to represent the state of Utah in
kids to represent the state of Utah in Washington DC I got to speak with
Washington DC I got to speak with
Washington DC I got to speak with Senator hatch and asked him to renew the
Senator hatch and asked him to renew the
Senator hatch and asked him to renew the special diabetes program which is a fund
special diabetes program which is a fund
special diabetes program which is a fund of 150 million dollars given by the
of 150 million dollars given by the
of 150 million dollars given by the government per year for diabetes
government per year for diabetes
government per year for diabetes research I’ve told my story to Rotary
research I’ve told my story to Rotary
research I’ve told my story to Rotary Clubs local news stations and other
Clubs local news stations and other
Clubs local news stations and other students and about a year ago my friends
students and about a year ago my friends
students and about a year ago my friends and I convinced the Park City School
and I convinced the Park City School
and I convinced the Park City School District to hire more school nurses and
District to hire more school nurses and
District to hire more school nurses and I started a rental photobooth company
I started a rental photobooth company
I started a rental photobooth company with my younger siblings and we donate
with my younger siblings and we donate
with my younger siblings and we donate 15% of our profit two JDRF I have a goal
15% of our profit two JDRF I have a goal
15% of our profit two JDRF I have a goal to raise 1 million dollars before my
to raise 1 million dollars before my
to raise 1 million dollars before my little brother graduates from high
little brother graduates from high
little brother graduates from high school I’m working on it with the CEO of
school I’m working on it with the CEO of
school I’m working on it with the CEO of JDRF and my family currently there’s no
JDRF and my family currently there’s no
JDRF and my family currently there’s no cure for t1d but type 1 has taught me to
cure for t1d but type 1 has taught me to
cure for t1d but type 1 has taught me to be more empathetic of those who are
be more empathetic of those who are
be more empathetic of those who are different it’s taught me to stand up for
different it’s taught me to stand up for
different it’s taught me to stand up for myself
myself
myself to run a business to speak in public and
to run a business to speak in public and
to run a business to speak in public and to stand up for others but more
to stand up for others but more
to stand up for others but more importantly
importantly
importantly it’s taught me to try harder to find a
it’s taught me to try harder to find a
it’s taught me to try harder to find a cure inhale the future and exhale the
cure inhale the future and exhale the
cure inhale the future and exhale the past I’m capable of amazing things and
past I’m capable of amazing things and
past I’m capable of amazing things and so are you thank you
so are you thank you
so are you thank you [Applause]
”
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