When New Hope pre-teen Aiden Stanley, 12, was diagnosed with diabetes in August, the first visitor to his room at Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson was a representative of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi.
“Here we were scared, having just been released from the ICU and this really sweet lady came in and started talking with us and helping us start to find out new normal,” Aiden’s mother, Karen Stanley, said. “They made him…feel really supported.”
The representative brought Aiden a backpack full of books, toys, testers and emergency kits, all designed to help him in his new battle with the disease, which affects 373,000 people in Mississippi, according to the foundation’s associate director, Irena McClain.
That’s why Aiden, his family and close friends on Sunday will attend the Golden Triangle-Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes 2015 at the Columbus Riverwalk. Registration begins at 1 p.m.
The event will raise awareness of the disease and raise money for the Diabetes Foundation.
Karen knew nothing about diabetes when she suspected her son may have it. He came back from summer vacation at his grandparents’ house having lost a noticeable amount of weight and was drinking more water than usual. Those and other symptoms convinced the Stanleys to have Aiden checked out at a walk-in clinic. That’s when Stanley was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and his life changed overnight. He now has to give himself shots of insulin before eating and check his blood sugar 10 or 12 times a day — on a good day.
A seventh grader at New Hope Middle School, Aiden likes playing football and video games. His favorite movie is “Guardians of the Galaxy,” He still eats most everything he ate before, but now he has to give himself insulin shots, or have his parents do it for him, before eating. He or his parents have to calculate how much insulin he needs based on what he’s eating. Their house now has calculators lying everywhere, Karen said. Aiden also has a machine that monitors his blood sugar and sends data to an app on Karen’s phone so she can always tell how he’s doing. It’s a 24/7 job.
“There are days though that I wish I could give him a day off, and you can’t,” Karen said. “You have to be diligent, you have to stay on top of your blood sugar, you have to take the shots, you have to test your blood, you have to do all these things…and at twelve that’s a lot.”
But diabetes hasn’t stopped Aiden from doing anything he did before. He still goes to football practice and spends time with friends. Only a couple of weeks after his diagnosis, he went to a birthday party and ate cake and ice cream. He says that’s one of the things he would tell another kid with diabetes — you can still eat most of what you want.
Aiden and his family will be one of several teams at the Walk for Diabetes to help show support for Aiden and others in Mississippi who have diabetes. The Stanleys wanted to give back to the Diabetes Foundation for supporting them after Aiden’s diagnosis, Karen said.
The event will be held on the upper level of the Riverwalk and include a one-mile family fun walk and a 5K walk. A picnic will follow, and the event will include rest stops and contests.
“Not only does (the walk) raise awareness of diabetes as a major health problem … but it also shows support for children and adults living with diabetes,” McClain said. “Especially with kids. A lot of times they’re the only one in their school with diabetes, and it’s great for them to see a huge show of support with their friends and with the community.”
To donate or register for the walk, go to msdiabetes.org. The foundation includes a minimum requested donation of $20. Those who donate $50 or more will receive a T-shirt designed by Jackson cartoonist Marshall Ramsey.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
