>> WELL, DIE OF DIABETES CAN LEAD TO A LIST OF HEALTH ISSUES FROM HIGH BLOOD
PRESSURE TO LIVER AND PANCREAS
DAMAGE IN NOVEMBER HAS BEEN
DESIGNATED DIABETES AWARENESS
MONTH AND DOCTORS ARE WORKING
TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE
IMPACT DIABETES CAN HAVE THE
ONLY KNOWN CURE FOR TYPE ONE
DIABETES IS A PANCREAS
TRANSPLANT. AND JOINING ME NOW
IS DAN YAO GEORGIA RESIDENT
WHO UNDERWENT A TRANSPLANT AT
MAYO CLINIC TO TALK ABOUT HER
EXPERIENCE. SHE’S JOINING US
NOW TO SHOW US HOW HER HAS
CHANGED. GOOD MORNING,
DANIELLE. THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US. GOOD MORNING.
HERE’S TELL US WHAT IS YOUR
HISTORY WITH DIABETES? AND
WHEN WERE YOU DIAGNOSED?
>> SO IS DIAGNOSED IN 1992, OF
THE 6 YEARS I WAS ALWAYS WHAT
THEY CALLED A BRITTLE
DIABETIC. HAD A REALLY HARD
TIME CONTROLLING MY YOU KNOW?
AND AND GROWING UP DIABETIC
IT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU TO
JUST CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.
AND SO I KIND OF WENT THROUGH
LIFE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT,
TRY TO BE AS NORMAL AS HAD
SOME AT SOME DIFFERENT
ILLNESSES IN SOME DIFFERENT
PROBLEMS WITH MY AND AND AS
GREW OLDER, YOU KNOW, HAD
DAMAGE FROM IT.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND WHEN DID
YOU FIRST LEARN ABOUT A
PANCREAS TRANSPLANT?
>> SO I ACTUALLY WENT INTO
KIDNEY MEMBERS ARE LOOKING FOR
A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT DUE TO MY
DIABETES. AND WE WENT TO MAYO
JACKSONVILLE AND SOLVE DOCTOR
AND HE LOOKED LOOK AT ME AND
MY MOTHER, ACTUALLY, HE WAS
THERE WITH THE TIME AND SAYS,
WHY DON’T YOU WANT TO PAY
INCREASE CHANCE PLANT? AND WE
KIND OF LOOKED AT EACH OTHER.
I JUST IN. WE LIKE WE DIDN’T
REALIZE THAT WAS AN OPTION AND
SO THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I
HEARD WELL, THAT’S AN AMAZING
SURPRISE. AND
>> HOW WAS THAT PROCESS?
>> SO THE PROCESS TO GO CHANCE
AND IT IS PRETTY THERE’S A LOT
OF TESTING LOT OF
APPOINTMENTS. THEY PACKED IT
INTO ABOUT A WEEK LONG VISIT
THEIR TIME IN AND, YOU KNOW,
IT’S IT IS A LOT TO GO
THROUGH. BUT THE TEAM THERE
WAS AND JUST HELPING WITH
EVERYTHING THEY AND, YOU KNOW,
YOU GO HOME AFTER THAT. WE CAN
YOU WAIT FOR A PHONE CALL
>>CORLEY PEEL: YEAH. AND HOW
LONG AGO DID YOU HAVE THAT
TRANSPLANT? AND CAN YOU TELL
US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY NOW
SINCE YOU’VE HAD THAT HOUSING
BENEFIT TO DO AND WHAT IS YOUR
LIFE LIKE NOW?
>> YES, IT’S BEEN ABOUT 2
YEARS NOW AND MY TRANSPLANT
HAPPENED ON 9/7/2000, 19. AND
YOU KNOW, MY LIFE SINCE
TRANSPLANT HAS REALLY JUST
BEEN TOTALLY YOU KNOW, IT’S
IT’S FUNNY WHEN YOU GROW UP
DIABETIC AND ALWAYS BEEN
DIABETIC. YOU DON’T REALIZE
COME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU
MISS OUT THE MAIN DIFFERENCE.
I THINK NOW AFTER TRANSPLANT
IS JUST HAVING SPOT NATI YOU
KNOW, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PLAN
FOR EVERYTHING. YOU DON’T HAVE
TO EAT AT A CERTAIN TIME. YOU
DON’T HAVE TO CARRY YOUR
PLEDGE BE SEEN AND YOUR
INSULIN, WHICH YOU AND YOU
KNOW, YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET A
DOCTOR’S NOTE TO FLY SOMEWHERE
BECAUSE YOU CARE FEEDING OF
MEDICINE AND NEEDLES YOU KNOW,
SO IT’S IT’S DEFINITELY
BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A
NORMAL LIFE BACK TO ME AS
OPPOSED TO THE LIFE I AND
ALLOWED ME TO DO THINGS THAT I
HADN’T BEEN ABLE TO DO PRIOR
TO NOT KNOW. MY TRANSPLANT,
NOT BE DIABETIC MORE NOW.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND MY BEST
FRIEND. SHE HAS BEEN LIVING
WITH DIABETES HER WHOLE LIFE
AS WELL. IT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW
HOW HARD IT IS FOR HER. SO
WITH THIS TRANSPLANT, I MEAN,
DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU DON’T
HAVE TO DO THE INSULIN SHOTS
ANYMORE?
>> NO, I DON’T CHECK SUGARY
MORE. I DON’T TAKE ANY INSULIN
IT TOOK A WHILE, BUT I DON’T
EVEN THINK ABOUT WHAT I I
REMEMBER REALLY SPECIFIC POINT
AFTER LET YOU GO BACK FOR A
LOT OF TICKETS STUFF LIKE
THAT. AND I’M STILL WEARING MY
PLEDGE. CONTINUES. LOOK, HAS
TO LOOK TO BE. HE SAID, TAKE
THAT OFF. YOU ARE NOT A
DIABETIC ANYMORE. IT WAS JUST
SO NORMAL FOR ME. IT WAS LIKE,
OKAY, I WOW. THAT IS TRULY
AMAZING. SUCH A GREAT FEELING
AND
>>CORLEY PEEL: YOU KNOW, NOW
WE’RE KICKING OFF THE HOLIDAY
SEASON AND CELEBRATE ALL THESE
WONDERFUL HOLIDAYS. AND WHAT
MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR
DONOR’S FAMILY?
>> SO YOU’RE NOT A LOT YOUR
DONOR IS A AND, YOU KNOW, YOU
WRITE A LETTER, BUT THEY DON’T
ALWAYS ANSWER IF THEY’RE
LISTENING. I REALLY JUST HOPE
THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE
BOTTOM OF MY MIKE AND HIS
HEART OUT. WE’RE SO GRATEFUL
FOR MY SECOND CHANCE OF SORRY,
IT’S EMOTIONAL AND THAT I I
LIVE MY LIES NOT ONLY FOR
MYSELF, BUT ALSO TO CONTINUE
THE LEGACY OF THEIR LOVED I
HOPE THAT I CAN YOU KNOW, DO
THEM PROUD.
>>CORLEY PEEL: WELL, THAT IS
SO AMAZING. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
DANIELLE, FOR SHARING YOUR
STORY WITH US. THIS IS VERY
INSPIRING TO THOSE WHO ARE
BATTLING WITH DIABETES. AND,
YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS TO
YOU FOR BEING ABLE TO MOVE
FORWARD. AND WE HAVE YOUR
LIFE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT
YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF.