Some kids are forced to grow up faster than others for a variety of reasons, but few things put the weight of adult responsibility on a young person’s shoulders more than a diagnosis of diabetes.
Colorado youths who deal with Type 1 diabetes, a genetic condition that causes the body’s insulin system to go haywire, have an ally in their backyard: the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Aurora.
The gleaming complex provides cutting-edge research and care for 3,000 children and 2,000 adults with Type 1 diabetes, an early-onset condition that can lead to blindness, heart disease and other problems.
The center proved a lifeline for Dino Salazar, a 13-year-old from La Junta. Two years ago he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. His father, Felipe Salazar, recalls the hammer blow of the news. “My first reaction, since I didn’t know anything about the disease, was that it was the worst thing ever,” Felipe said. “I broke into tears. It was just devastating.”
What followed was a crash-course in diabetes and its treatment. Dino spent several days at the Barbara Davis Center, where he and his family learned the terminology and facts behind the illness and the techniques to monitor and control it.
“We’re making real progress in treating Type 1 diabetes,” said George Eisenbarth, a doctor and researcher who has spent 17 years as the center’s executive director. “It’s a very exciting time.”
Important funding for the center comes from the High Hopes Carousel Ball, a money-raiser held every two years. The 2007 event raised $750,000. This year’s gala on Saturday will feature Larry King as emcee and entertainers Earth Wind & Fire, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Shawn King. The event is sponsored by the Children’s Diabetes Foundation.
With the tight economy and the number of diabetics in the United States doubling every 20 years, the fundraiser is more important than ever, Eisenbarth said.
Despite medical progress, the disease, which is caught early in most people, remains as disruptive as ever.
“We have nurses, doctors and dietitians, but the real burden is with the family,” Eisenbarth said.
Families such as the Salazars.
“For the first couple of weeks it was pretty scary, but after a couple of months I got used to it,” said Dino, an eighth-grader, about the early days of his diagnosis.
Today, Dino’s blood-sugar levels are stable, thanks to medicine and dietary adjustments. Carbohydrates are watched and sugars shunned. But Dino is active in his Boy Scout troop — his goal is to earn the Eagle rank before his 15th birthday — and performs with the renowned Koshare Indian Dancers.
“Things are good now,” Dino said.
The Barbara Davis Center, named after the philanthropist and wife of the late oilman Marvin Davis, is visited by its patients quarterly. No child is turned away, regardless of the family’s ability to pay.
Staffers take blood, weight and height information and download data from the children’s blood-glucose meters and insulin pumps. Once crunched, that data tells patients and parents about any adjustments that need to be made in blood-sugar levels and insulin ratios.
As children grow and go through varying levels of physical activity, their body’s absorption of insulin varies. Quarterly appointments give them the opportunity to monitor their progress.
For many kids with diabetes, grappling with the sense of otherness is as tough as the condition itself.
Jenna Biddle, 11, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 6.
“I caught on to what I needed to do pretty quickly,” Jenna said. “But since it was first grade people made fun of me and said I was different, that I had a disease. They didn’t want to be around me.”
Her mother, Lisa Biddle, remembers how daunting it was at first to be a mother to a diabetic child.
“It was a lot to learn,” says Lisa Biddle, who brings Jenna to the center from their Colorado Springs home. “It was nonstop education and reading and was pretty scary. I went to school every day to give her insulin shots at lunch.”
Jenna was in the second grade when she was given an insulin pump, which she quickly learned to use.
The pump Jenna uses has a sensor that instructs it to shut down when her insulin level reaches a certain point. More sophisticated models are being tested.
“Right now the pumps aren’t very ‘smart,’ ” Eisen- barth said. “It’s like a Model A Ford. We’ve reached the point where it’s practical, but it’s not a Mercedes-Benz yet.”
But researchers are working on insulin systems that allow nonstop “dialogue” between the blood sensors and the pump. Eisenbarth and his colleagues predict it won’t be too long before they’re available to patients.
That should give Jenna even more freedom than she already enjoys.
“Even though I’m different I can do anything any regular person does,” Jenna says. “I enjoy volleyball and kinda like softball. And swimming’s fun.”
Chris Watson, 14, was diagnosed with diabetes nearly two years ago.
“It’s been difficult,” said the Greenwood Village eighth- grader. “I have to be responsible when I go out about what I’m doing and eating. I don’t drink normal soda, for instance. I have to be attentive to things like that.”
Chris checks his glucose level five times a day between waking up and going to bed.
Diabetes doesn’t keep him from running on his school’s track team, where he competes in the 800-meter run and triple jump.
“The center does a great job of letting you know that even though you have diabetes, you can still do everything,” his mom, Beth, said.
William Porter: 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com
Type 1 Diabetes
Need information about Type 1 diabetes? Call the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, 303-863-1200, or visit childrensdiabetes
Fundraiser
The High Hopes Carousel Ball, a charity fundraiser for the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Aurora, is at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sheraton Denver Downtown, 1550 Court Place. The evening begins with a silent auction, followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. The fundraiser also includes a charity auction. Larry King is master of ceremonies, and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Earth Wind & Fire, and Shawn King will entertain. Arlene Hirschfeld will be honored. Tickets start at $350 for individuals and $700 per couple. Information: 303-863-1200.
