Do I Look Sick to You?

    Picture someone with a disability. What do you see?

    You might picture someone in a wheelchair. You might picture someone who can’t see or hear. And you wouldn’t be wrong.

    But there’s another kind of disability that many people don’t think about: invisible illness.

    Looking at me, you might not know I have a chronic disease. But I’ve had type 1 diabetes since I was 2. It affects my life in many ways, and I have to manage it every day.

    Having an invisible illness can be hard. That’s why I speak out about it.

    I want kids like me to know they’re not alone.

    If I told you to picture someone with a disability, what image would pop into your mind?

    You might imagine someone in a wheelchair, or maybe someone who can’t see or hear—and you wouldn’t be wrong.

    But there’s another kind of disability that many people don’t think about: invisible illness.

    You probably wouldn’t know I have a chronic disease just by looking at me, but I’ve had type 1 diabetes since I was 2 years old. It affects my life in many ways, and I have to manage it every day.

    Having an invisible illness can be difficult. That’s why I want to speak out about my experience.

    I want other kids like me to know they’re not alone.

    There are a few different types of diabetes. I have type 1, which usually starts in childhood.

    Diabetes affects how your body uses glucose. Glucose is a kind of sugar. Your body needs it.

    Here’s how it works in a healthy person: You eat and the glucose from your food goes into your blood. Your body then makes something called insulin. The insulin helps your body absorb the glucose.

    But my body can’t make enough insulin. So it’s easy for me to have too much or too little glucose in my blood. That’s called high or low blood sugar.

    There are a few different types of diabetes. I have type 1, which usually starts in childhood.

    Diabetes affects how your body uses glucose. Glucose is a kind of sugar that your body needs in order to function properly.

    Here’s how it works in a healthy person: You eat and the glucose from your food goes into your blood. Your body then makes something called insulin, which helps your body absorb the glucose.

    But my body can’t produce enough insulin, so it’s easy for me to have too much or too little glucose in my blood (high or low blood sugar).

    Managing diabetes can be a lot of work. I use a glucose monitor. It’s a device that attaches to my arm. A tube goes from the device into my skin. It measures the glucose in my blood. I get an alert on my phone when it’s too high or too low.

    I have an insulin pump too. That’s another device that’s attached to my body. It pumps insulin into my blood when I need it.

    I have to change both devices every few days. I eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise too.

    Managing diabetes can be a lot of work. I use a glucose monitor, a little device that attaches to my arm. A tiny tube goes from the device into my skin and measures the glucose in my blood. I get an alert on my phone when it’s too high or too low.

    I also have an insulin pump, another small device that’s attached to my body. It pumps insulin into my blood whenever I need it.

    I have to change both devices every few days. I also have to make sure to eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise.

    When I was younger, I often felt alone. Other kids didn’t understand my illness. They made fun of my medical devices. Even teachers didn’t always support me. They would give me a hard time when I felt sick. One teacher told me that I needed to stop using diabetes as an excuse. 

    That’s something that’s hard about having an invisible illness: I look healthy from the outside. So sometimes people don’t remember that I’m sick.

    In elementary school, I started homeschooling. That was way better for me, but it could still be lonely sometimes. 

    Then in 2020, the camp I went to for kids with diabetes got canceled because of Covid-19. I was so sad. It was the one place I could go where I felt like everyone understood me. 

    That’s when I decided to start a group online called Diabuddies Connect. Through it, I’ve met so many amazing people. The best part is when younger kids join. I want to show them they’re not alone. 

    When I was younger, I often felt alone. Other kids were mean about my illness. They made fun of my medical devices. Even teachers weren’t always kind. They were hard on me when I felt sick. One told me to stop using diabetes as an excuse.

    I look healthy. So people sometimes forget that I’m sick.

    In elementary school, I started homeschooling. That was better, but it was still lonely sometimes.

    Then, in 2020, the camp I went to for kids with diabetes got canceled because of Covid-19. I was so sad. It was the one place where I felt like everyone understood me.

    So I started a group online called Diabuddies Connect. I’ve met great people through it. I’m glad when younger kids join. I show them they’re not alone.

    When I was younger, I often felt alone. Other kids didn’t understand my illness, and they made fun of my medical devices. Even teachers weren’t always supportive and would give me a hard time when I felt sick. One teacher told me that I needed to stop using diabetes as an excuse.

    That’s something that’s hard about having an invisible illness: I appear healthy on the outside, so people don’t always remember that I’m sick.

    In elementary school, I started homeschooling. That was more comfortable for me, but it could still be lonely sometimes.

    Then, in 2020, the camp I went to for kids with diabetes got canceled because of Covid-19. That was disappointing, because the camp was the one place I could go where I felt like everyone understood me.

    That’s when I decided to start an online group called Diabuddies Connect. Through it, I’ve met so many amazing people. I find it especially satisfying when younger kids join. I want to show them they’re not alone.

    I’m proud to be an advocate for others. I’ve been doing pageants since I was 5. Diabetes is my platform. Every pageant has an interview. I use that time to talk about diabetes.

    A lot of people don’t understand diabetes. That’s not their fault. It’s not something you know about unless it affects someone in your life. But I believe that understanding is the key to a kinder world.

    I hope I can inspire other kids to share their stories. If you can help even one person feel less alone, it’s worth it. •

    I’ve made it my mission to be an advocate for others. I’ve been participating in pageants since I was 5, and diabetes is my platform. I use the interview portion of each pageant to talk about diabetes.

    Many people don’t understand diabetes or other invisible illnesses, and that’s not their fault—it’s just not something you know about unless it affects someone in your life. But I believe that understanding is the best way to create a kinder world.

    I hope I can inspire other kids to share their experiences, no matter what they are. If you can help even one person feel less alone, it’s worth it.