Stevie - My 9th child
Fatherless at age 8, Type 1 Diabetes at 10
Type 1 Diabetes
Stevie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on July 8, 2005. We were camping when Stevie became ill and, by the time we got to a hospital, she was in a coma caused by ketoacidosis, a process where her blood was turning to acid because her blood sugar was too high and attacking her organs. I don't know what her blood sugar reading actually was because it was over 800, beyond the capability of the equipment to measure it.
Stevie occupies a special place in my heart. Of my 11 children she is the only one who is not my biological child. This photo of Stevie and me was taken when she was 8, just 4 days before her father accidentally killed himself right in front of her. I had a similar experience at that age so, after this tragedy, Stevie and I developed an even more special bond.
Type 1 Diabetes
Although the details vary, our story isn't that different from thousands of other families who have a child with Type 1 diabetes. Whether the diagnosis is made after a crisis, as in our case, or it's diagnosed during the normal course of a medical examination, the result is always the same. It's a life-changing event.
