Hi everyone! I’m Raven and am 14 years old. I’m a very active teenager- I ‘m a cheerleader, play on my schools’ volleyball and basketball teams, run track, and play on two different softball teams. Not only am I very active, I am a leader for my school and my parish. I’m student body president and Princess Miss St. Tammany Parish Fair Queen. In my spare time I love hanging out with friends, family, and attending church. So, I’m a regular teenager right? Well that’s what I say, but my family, friends, and medical doctors keep informing me that I have a disease. I have Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. Shocker right?

On July 21, 2003, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. That was the worst day ever! I went to my pediatrician because my mom and dad didn’t know why I was wetting the bed, drinking excess liquids, and using the bathroom a lot. We all just thought that I was being really lazy by wetting the bed. And we thought I was drinking and peeing a lot because of all my sports activities. When my doctor told me I was Diabetic my parents sure did feel bad…and surprised! My mom was a paramedic for 7 years. My dad is a registered nurse in the emergency room. Diabetes never crossed their mind.

I was 10 at the time, so I had never heard of diabetes. I wasn’t that worried…yet! My mom and I were sent to Children’s Hospital where for 4 days I learned about this life threatening disease. We were told that there was good and bad news. The good news was that diabetes is controllable, manageable. The bad news was that it could cause me a lot of organ damage. It could even kill me. Tears ran down our faces because we know that one mistake can be the biggest mistake.

I’m one of the few children that can accept this disease. I will admit I hate it with all my strength. I will never like it, but I will fight juvenile diabetes! There are days that I want to give up and come close to it. But I’m not a quitter and I’ll fight juvenile diabetes until we ALL find a cure! I know that in a weird way I’m blessed to have such a manageable disease, but knowing that it could cause my death makes it the worst thing ever.

I’m a normal blonde headed, blue eyed girl, but I’m not going to let diabetes get in my way. I have my goals set in life and I’m going to do my very best to achieve them. Diabetes is not, and will not get, in my way!!!

Thank you all for visiting Nikki’s Kettle Corn! Please support The Raven Parish Caminita Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Thank you for being part of finding a cure!

Raven