Me at age 2, shortly after my diagnosis with diabetes.              Me today at age 12!

Hi, my name is Emily and I am twelve years old. I have had diabetes since I was two. My older sister and my younger brother both have diabetes as well. I have pricked my finger over 29,120 times in my life.

It has been difficult in the last year because I have gotten tired of checking and bolusing. Every three days I change the site for my insulin pump. I use an inserter to push the needle into my skin. Some people think that it hurts to poke myself and put in my sites but I am so used to it that I just don’t feel it anymore. But I used to need to be chased around the house and held down to get pricked and my site put it in. Now my pinkie finger is covered in scars that are little black dots. And my stomach has bumpy scars on it from my sites. 

Many people think that because I have diabetes I am different, but I am just like any other kid. I can still play sports (even though I don’t),  I can eat sugar, even though people think it is how I got diabetes.   I am just like anyone else.

Please help me, my siblings, and other kids find a cure for diabetes by donating money to JDRF through our “3 Coffey’s No Sugar” family team. Thank You!