Doctors
at UAMS say they are making great strides in treating and caring for
patients with diabetes. .
There
are two kinds of diabetes.
Type
One is a lifelong condition in which a person’s pancreas stops
producing insulin.
Type
Two is a metabolic issue.
While
there is no cure there are things you can do to control diabetes,
which can be a deadly condition.
Last
night police say a 29 year old man in the Hillcrest area crashed his
car and died from a diabetic attack.
We
wanted to take a closer look at how some people are affected by
diabetes and their everyday fears and concerns.
One
parent we spoke to says she worries about her child not waking up in
the morning.
Jared
Halbert has battled diabetes since he was 9.
“What
scared us to death when he went off to school our biggest fear since
his diagnosis was whether or not he would live through the night.”
Karen
Halbert’s son is a student at the University of Arkansas and lives
with Type One Diabetes.
Hearing
about the 29 year old dying from a diabetic attack while driving in
the Hillcrest area… saddens and worries halbert… because she
never knows when her son’s blood sugar will drop without warning.
“Every
time he calls and says I’m going here I”m on my way home my
first statement to him is sweety do you have skittles or something in
the car to eat.”
Chief
Resident at UAMS Family Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Appathurai
Balurugan, says being proactive is key.
“Eat
right, physical activity, those are the two key things. and follow
advice given by physicians.
Halbert
says what people must understand,
“Insulin
is not a cure. Insulin is simply a way to try and keep them alive.
Until we can find a cure.”
Halbert
is very active in raising money for the juvenile diabetes research
foundation.
She
bikes with Team Arkansas, they are headed to Lake Tahoe for the Ride
to Cure Diabetes, call the Arkansas Chapter of the JDRF.
Last
year Team Arkansas rode in the JDRF Death Valley.
The
ride was a 105 miles in Death Valley, California.
Team
Arkansas raised $65,000.00 for the Greater Arkansas Chapter of JDRF.
They
will bike 72 miles in Lake Tahoe.
So
far they’ve raised $42,000.00.
