Type 1 Diabetes: A Picture 'Not Fully Painted'
March 10, 2014
We have to applaud young people who take charge and inspire others. One such young person is 11-year-old Siena Leighton.
In a story from The Herald of Everett, WA, we learn that Siena was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 5. For the past six years, she’s learned to manage her condition with the help of her mother, Brenda. But more than that, Siena has taken on the task of educating others about the disease.
A lot of education is focused on Type 2 diabetes, a condition that can be brought on later in life as a result of a number of factors. But Type 1 diabetes oftentimes takes a back seat, and especially for young people, remains mostly confusing and mysterious. Siena’s mission is to change that, starting with the people of Arlington.
How is she doing that? By taking charge of Arlington’s police department for a day. Siena is the department’s “Chief for a Day” in the second year of the program. She gets to ride in the city’s 4th of July parade, and is hoping to parlay the publicity into a plea for people to donate to diabetes foundations that help young patients with their disease.
So we applaud young Siena. She’s exactly the kind of young ambassador that we need. Keep it up and get the word out!
h/t - The Herald of Everett: "Arlington's 'Chief for a Day' is Diabetes Myth Buster