WHITE LAKE, Mich. — Brennan Surman of White Lake, Mich., is like many 10-year-old boys. He loves playing baseball, watching the Detroit Tigers and eating ice cream sundaes. Brennan is also one of the 3 million Americans living with Type 1 diabetes.
“I don’t let diabetes stop me from doing the things I love to do, but my diabetes is always on my mind,” said Brennan.
He has to constantly think about monitoring his diabetes, making sure his blood sugar doesn’t get too high or too low. That means a long list of questions running though his mind.
“What is my blood sugar? What time is it? What was my last blood sugar? How many carbs is my snack? How many units of insulin do I need? How much insulin did I get the last time?” said Brennan.
Brennan was diagnosed when he just 5 years old.
“We noticed that he was excessively thirsty, asking to use the bathroom a lot, hungry all the time,” said Ashley Zoltowski, Brennan’s mother. “Then one day, I picked him up from preschool, and he was almost unconscious at his desk.”
Brennan ended up in the hospital, where tests confirmed he had Type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Frank McGeorge explained there are two types of diabetes — Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 2 is the most common and can sometimes be controlled with diet and exercise. It’s often related to obesity. That’s not the case with Type 1.
McGeorge said Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes because it’s most often diagnosed in children or teenagers. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin, leaving the body unable to control blood sugar levels. Without insulin, blood sugar builds up in the bloodstream, creating a life-threatening situation.
“It started to sink in that this was a life-changing illness and that he’ll never get better. There was no cure,” said Zoltowski.
Instead, Brennan and his parents and stepparents have to constantly monitor his blood sugar.
“The fear factor set in that, the things that we do for him, if we screw them up, could have dire consequences,” said Keith Zoltowski, Brennan’s stepfather.
“Brennan has to check his blood sugar six times a day. Anytime he puts a bit of food in his mouth he has to test his blood sugar,” said Erica Surman, Brennan’s stepmother.
“I poke my finger about the minimum five, maximum, there’s no maximum,” said Brennan.
In the five years since he was diagnosed, Brennan said he has poked his fingers more than 23,000 times and received more than 2,500 shots of insulin.
He also has to count the “carbs” or carbohydrates in everything he eats and adjust his insulin accordingly.
“We have to measure all his peanut butter for his peanut butter sandwiches; we have to count how many grapes. If he wants to eat a bowl of goldfish crackers, we have to count 51 crackers for a serving,” said Erica Surman.
It’s a challenge when all of Brennan’s friends are chowing down.
“When there’s food in front of them and they’re hungry, they dig in and they eat. I can’t do that,” said Brennan.
Brennan now wears an insulin pump. The beeper-sized device that delivers insulin 24 hours a day through a small plastic needle inserted under the skin on his abdomen. The pump attracts attention from other children, especially when he plays baseball.
“They always ask me what’s on my side. Is it a cellphone? Is it an iPod? The umpires ask me too. I say, ‘It’s a pump. I have diabetes.’ And then I just go on playing baseball,” said Brennan.
The pump is better than shots, but it’s not a cure. So Brennan is working to help find one. He is now speaking to groups of influential people to raise awareness about Type 1 diabetes and the need for more research.
“I think he’s a brave soul, ” said Anthony Surman, Brennan’s father. “If Brennan’s voice can be heard and, you know, just affect one or two people, I think that’s great. He’s real tough. He’s got the heart of a lion.”
Brennan and his family and friends have raised more than $10,000 for diabetes research. They’ve also made a video to help educate people about Type 1 diabetes.
Brennan ended his most recent speech by asking the audience for their help.
“Small voices like mine, and big voices like yours, can make a difference. Together we need to raise money for life-changing research and advancements, like the artificial pancreas. I am in the fight of my life. There is strength in numbers, so please join me in the fight for a cure,” said Brennan.
To learn more about Brennan’s efforts to fight diabetes or to make a donation,
click here.
To watch Brennan’s video,
click here.
To visit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation website,
click here.
To visit the American Diabetes Association website,
click here.
