Alexis undeterred by diabetes
Alexis loves horseback riding, swimming and being on the pom pom squad. She's a typical, active 13-year-old girl except for the fact that she has Type 1 diabetes, which is the most common type of diabetes that occurs in children.
At the age of 9, Alexis' parents, Nadine and Alex, noticed that their daughter was constantly eating and drinking and frequently going to the bathroom. Thinking she had a urinary tract infection, Nadine took Alexis to her pediatrician, who diagnosed Alexis with diabetes and sent her to Children's Memorial Hospital.
“The diagnosis hit us like a ton of bricks,” says Nadine. With no family history and no knowledge of the life-long, potentially serious illness, Alexis and her parents quickly learned to live with the disease, thanks to the highly skilled and experienced diabetes team at Children's Memorial. The team developed a comprehensive, personalized program for Alexis, and spent three days educating the family on how to test her blood sugar level, administer insulin shots and monitor her diet.
With the support of her parents, the hospital's diabetes team and fellow diabetes patients, Alexis quickly took to her new lifestyle – testing her blood sugar levels six times a day and giving herself insulin shots five times a day.
Recently, Alexis was able to switch from the painful routine of insulin shots to an insulin pump, which is more complicated to use but much more comfortable. Also with the pump's ability to release insulin throughout the day, it more closely mimics how the body normally produces insulin so Alexis is able to have more flexibility with her diet and overall schedule.
In addition to her daily testing and insulin administration, Alexis visits the hospital for check-ups every four months. With the recent opening of a Children's Memorial diabetes program at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights , the family has a much shorter commute. “We're able to see the same people and get the same wonderful care without having to drive all the way into the city,” says Nadine. "I would never dream of taking my child anywhere other than Children's Memorial."
Children's Memorial Hospital seeks philanthropic funding to enhance its programs and services. As a proud partner of the Children's Miracle Network (CMN), all funds raised in the Chicago area through CMN also benefit Children's Memorial. To find out how your support can help the hospital better serve children and families, please contact the Children's Memorial Foundation at 773.880.4237 or Foundation@childrensmemorial.org.