>> YOUR SLEEPOVER FOR YOUR
BIRTHDAY, A DAY YOU'LL NEVER
FORGET, SHE SUFFER ADDRESS
SEIZURE IN FRONT OF HER FRIENDS.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS STARTED TO
START UP THIS ORGANIZATION
CALLED ROBINSON'S RAINBOWS TO
RAISE AWARENESS FOR TYPE ONE
DIABETES.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN THIS
MORNING.
AND MOM CASEY, AND ALSO, TALKING
ABOUT THE EFFORTS THAT YOU ALL
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO TO RAISE
MONEY, TO RAISE AWARENESS.
AND IT REALLY STARTED FOR YOU
WHEN YOU WERE 4 YEARS OLD, THAT
IS WHEN YOU WERE DIAGNOSED AND
MOM, YOU STARTED NOTICING
CERTAIN THINGS HAPPENING TO HER
THAT KIND OF WERE THE RED FLAGS
THAT SHE MIGHT HAVE HAD THIS
TYPE OF DIABETES.
>>> TYPE-I DIABETES CAN COME ON
SUDDENLY AND THE SYMPTOMS ARE
SHE LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT, DRINKS
A LOTS OF WATER AND HER BODY
WASN'T PROCESSING THE SUGARS
CORRECTLY.
SO SHE WAS REALLY TIRED.
SHE WASN'T GETTING THE ENERGY
THAT SHE NEEDED.
AND WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT
IT WAS.
WE TOOK HER TO THE DOCTOR
THINKING SHE HAD A UTI OR
SOMETHING AND THEY ARE THE ONES
WHO TESTED HER FINGERS THE
FINGER PRICK CAN TELL YOU, HER
SUGARS WERE 840 AND BEING IN THE
RANGE OF 70 TO 180 WAS NORMAL.
>>> YOU WERE 4 YEARS OLD, I
MEAN, QUIDS ARE PRETTY, YOU
KNOW, YOU'RE LEARNING AND
GETTING YOUR INDEPENDENCE AT
THAT AGE.
I HAVE A 5 AND 3-YEAR-OLD.
I INSURANCE.
MOM, YOU ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE
TO DO THE INITIAL INSULIN SHOT
THAT YOU ROTE IN THE PAPER, YOU
SAID THAT IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT
SOMETIMES FOR YOU THAN IT WAS
FOR YOU TO GET THEM.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU DECIDED
YOU WERE GOING THE TAKE CONTROL
OF THIS?
>> NOT REALLY.
I REMEMBER FROM THE 9th
BIRTHDAY PARTY AND ON, BUT IT IS
KIND OF, JUST BEFORE THAT.
>> HAZY.
>> IT IS JUST WHAT YOU KNOW.
WHICH I THINK FOR ADULTS IT IS
HARD, BUT FOR YOU, YOU KNOW,
YOU'VE LEARNED TO ADAPT AND EVEN
YOUR FRIENDS, THE IDEA THAT,
THEY WERE TERRIFIED, YOU HAD A
SEIZURE IN FRONT OF THEM.
BUT WHAT DID IT SPARK THEM TO
DO?
>> IT HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON THEIR
LIVES AND ON MINE.
AND WE WANTED TO -- WE CREATED
THE PINS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND
FINDING A CURE.
THE PINS ARE IN O CONTAINERS.
>> THESE ARE THE STRIPS, THIS IS
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE.
AND THIS IS WHAT THE TEST STRIPS
ARE IN AND WE CREATED THE
DIFFERENT LOGO TO PUT ON AND WE
CALL IT MARK BECAUSE IT IS MAKE
GIRL CHANGE AND STANDS FOR OUR
NAMES.
>> AWESOME TO HAVE GOOD FRIENDS,
RIGHT?
IT ALMOST BRINGS ME TO TEARS TO
HAVE THAT SUPPORT, YOU HAVE
FAMILY AND DOCTORS SURROUNDING
YOU BUT MAKES I IT EASIER WHEN
YOU HAVE SUPPORT OF GOOD
FRIENDS.
>>> THE CHILDREN WHEN THEY COME
FOR THEIR APPOINTMENTS EVERY
THREE MONTHS THEY BRING US THEIR
EMPTY CONTAINER AND GIVES THEM
HOPE TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING
FOR A CAUSE, THEY'RE POKING
THEIR FINGERS FOR A PURPOSE.
>> AND HOW ARE YOU WORKING THIS?
JURY ASKING FOR DONATIONS AND,
YOU KNOW, THE MINIMUM DONATIONS.
>> WE SELL THEM AT BEACHES
CARWASH, AND GIVE THEM AWAY AT
AND THEN, THE DIABETES RESEARCH.
>>> HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE
BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FAUX FOR
MANY YEARS.
HAVE YOU NOTICED THE AWARENESS
HAS GROWN WITHIN THE COMMUNITY
AND ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGER
POPULATION WITH GETTING
DIAGNOSED?
>> I THINK SO, RIGHT NOW 1.25
AMERICANS HAVE THIS AND 40,000 A
YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES THAT
ARE BEING DIAGNOSED.
IT IS RAMPANT.
I FEEL I'M GETTING A CALL EVERY
DAY SAY MIG FRIEND GOT
DIAGNOSED.
YOUR CHILD CAN GET THIS, TOO.
THEY'RE FINDING IT IS MORE OF AN
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR THAN.
>> AND FOR YOU, THOUGH, YOU'RE
NOT LETTING IT STOP YOU.
I SEE YOU DO A HOST OF SPORTS
AND YOU KNOW, YOU LIVE A PRETTY
NORMAL LIFE.
>>> UH-HUH.
>>> HOW HAS THAT AFFECTED YOU?
>> IT IS AFFECTED ME A LOT WHERE
INSTEAD OF JUST GOING WITH WHAT
MY FRIENDS ARE DOING AND I DO
WHAT THEY DO, I HAVE TO STOP AND
MAKE SURE MY SUGARS ARE OKAY AND
TEST MY BLOOD SUGAR, AND IT
HOLDS ME BACK, BUT I TRY NOT TO
AND AND TRY TO LIVE NORMALLY.
>> Melanie: YOU INSPIRE OTHERS
AND YOU USE THAT ENERGY TO DO
SOMETHING GREAT.
AFFECTING A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT
THERE SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND JDRF
AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND GIVE A
NICE DONATION IF YOU CAN,
BECAUSE IT IS VERY COOL AND ALSO
DONATIONS OF THE TEST STRIP