PHOTO ESSAY

By Mary Embry

This is a picture of Dalton O’Neil. He may look like an ordinary teenager, but he’s not. Dalton has Type 1 Diabetes. Even though he has this disease, he can still be a normal kid. But he has some limitations.

Dalton’s blood sugar gets very low if he doesn’t eat enough sugar. When his blood sugar gets too low, then he starts to feel dizzy. Sometimes he gets so dizzy he feels like he may faint. Also, his pupils get dilated. To help him he needs to take medicine.

This is all of Dalton’s medicine. He takes insulin shots because his pancreas does not produce its own insulin. If he doesn’t take his insulin his blood sugar will drop. His catheter box pumps insulin into his body so he doesn’t have to take shots. He doesn’t have to take any pills though.

Warning!!!!! The next slide does contain blood.

Dalton uses a meter to check his blood sugar. He has to make sure that it doesn’t get too high or too low. If it is too high that means that he has eaten too much sugar. Then he needs to take an insulin shot. If it is too low that means that he has not eaten enough sugar. Then he would need to eat something with sugar in it.

Yes No

Dalton has to watch what he eats. If he eats too much sugar, his body won’t be able to handle it. Because his body doesn’t produce it’s own insulin. But, he can eat sugar, just not a lot. Things like fruits are good ways for him to eat sweet foods without eating a lot of sugar. But things like cake can cause his blood sugar to be too high.

Even though Dalton does have diabetes, his friends still love him. That treat him like a normal kid. They let him do normal things because he can. And that is good for Dalton. He needs to fell like he is like everyone else.

His family is always there to support him. They help him when he is not feeling well. His sister Mallory loves him very much. She always helps him and cares for him. Dalton also loves his family as well.

The End