Buddies are battling diabetes

DUNCAN FALLS - When Trace Wilson agreed to be a hall buddy for one of his classmates, Wyatt Ogg, he had no idea how valuable the experience would be.

"Students with diabetes have a buddy who walks the hall with them in case they start to pass out or something," said Trace's dad, Kyle Wilson. "We had no idea he did this."

Months later, Trace himself, would need a hall buddy.

"I got where I was just sitting around on the couch a lot, I was sleeping a lot more and going to the restroom more and I was drinking a lot more," Trace said. "I just wasn't active like I had been and my stomach hurt a lot."

Initially Kyle and his wife, Jodi, thought their son had the flu because the symptoms were similar. But when the illness persisted, they took him to his pediatrician.

"He had always been the typical energetic boy," Jodi said. "So, we knew something wasn't right when our 7-year-old suddenly didn't feel like playing."

In February 2015, Trace was diagnosed with Type I diabetes, a disease that grips about 1.25 million Americans - primarily children.

"The data compiled in 2009 by (Journal of American Medical Association) showed 1.93 per 1,000 children were diagnosed with Type I diabetes versus .46 per 1,000 children being diagnosed with Type II diabetes," said Dr. Manmohan Kamboj, chief of Endocrinology at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The difference between Type I and Type II diabetes, according to Kamboj, is Type I is an autoimmune condition that occurs when the body's immune system attacks the beta cells living in the tissue of the pancreas. 

"This causes the pancreas to produce little to no insulin," he said. Insulin is a hormone that allows cells to use glucose for energy

Type II, on the other hand, is not an autoimmune condition. In many cases Type II diabetes can be reversed.

"Type II affects the body's ability to use glucose, it results from insulin resistance," Kamboj said. "Type II is due to a combination of lifestyle and genetic factors. We see it a lot in obesity."

Having an improper diet that includes excessive amounts of foods high in refined sugar and carbohydrates, and lack of physical activity may cause Type II diabetes. 

"The diagnosis was just shocking," Jodi said. 

Trace's response to it was also shocking.

"The doctor was explaining how everything worked and Trace knew all about checking his sugar levels and the monitors," Kyle said. "I asked him how he knew all of that stuff and he said he had a friend at school with diabetes."

Trace and his buddy, Wyatt, both fifth grade students at Duncan Falls, are two of the 1.25 million children who live with Type I diabetes.

In honor of Diabetes Awareness month, Trace wrote a letter to Muskingum County Commissioners asking them to light the courthouse blue on Nov. 14 for World Diabetes Day. The commissioners invited Trace and his family to the courthouse on Monday where Trace learned the courthouse would be blue for the rest of the week.

"I feel like I am getting a lot of diabetes support by the county commissioners lighting up the courthouse in blue," Trace said. "Because I don't think diabetes gets a lot of support. I don't think a lot of people are educated about diabetes." 

For about 18 months, Trace took shots to control his insulin level. Now he has a pump that matches his insulin to his lifestyle rather than matching his lifestyle according to how is insulin is working.

"It is connected to his iPhone so we can see what his level is when he isn't with us," Jodi said. 

Having Type I diabetes may be somewhat inconvenient, but Trace doesn't let it slow him down now that he has figured out how to keep his insulin levels in the normal range.

"I feel best when it is in the mid 100's," Trace said. "I carry around Smarties with me in case I need them, which I do generally if I am playing ball."

Trace doesn't let his diagnosis interfere with participating on the Electric's soccer and basketball teams either.

"I know I can't get rid of it, but I can beat it," Trace said. "I just don't let it stop me."

cschultz3@gannett.com

740-450-6758

Twitter: @infoobtainer1