Diabetes’ Youth Ambassador Spreads His Message to Detroit

One look at Christian Stokes, 18 and he looks like any excited and energetic freshman heading off to college for the first time. But talk to this Minnesota native, and you quickly learn that his life has been anything but a cakewalk to the Halls of Ivy.  Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just 15 months old, Christian has never experienced a day without syringes, insulin and blood-glucose meters.

But the daily requirements that accompany this disease did not deter Christian from the desire to live a life like any normal child. So rather than wallow in his condition, he chose to live a life just like his peers and thus began playing sports in school. But unlike them, playing Christian’s favorite sports like wrestling and football required that he had to constantly check his blood-sugar levels, administer insulin when necessary and ensure that during and after his workouts, he was properly nourished. If he didn’t keep close tabs on his health, he risked serious consequences. It is this real threat of severe hypoglycemia and other diabetic complications that deters many diabetic kids from engaging in sports. But not Christian.

During his teenaged years, he was very active in the local chapters of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), educating kids and parents about the disease and encouraging his peers to be active, eat well and stay healthy, in addition to being a devoted athlete. Just this past January, Christian was awarded the prestigious nomination by the ADA as the organization’s National Youth Advocate (NYA), a title coveted by many but given to just one.

As part of his year-long post, Christian has been traveling all over the country speaking to millions of Americans about diabetes in addition to urging government officials on the need for increased federal funds to support diabetes research.

According to the ADA, nearly 24 million adults and children in the U.S. – including more than 927,000 Michigan adults – have been diagnosed with diabetes, and another 57 million have pre-diabetes. Both Type I and Type II diabetes are characterized by too much sugar in the blood, which over time can lead to heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and amputations, blindness and kidney disease. Type I diabetes develops when the body’s immune system destroys pancreatic cells that make the hormone insulin that regulates blood sugar. Type II diabetes, which in the past been a disease of overweight or obese middle-aged adults, has been striking U.S. children and adolescents with increasing frequency. Children who develop Type II diabetes are typically overweight or obese according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“I want to encourage all youth to become aware of how their actions and behaviors impact their health,” says Stokes. “It doesn’t matter if you have Type I or Type II diabetes, I want to encourage everyone to get out there and exercise. Even though it may be challenging, the rewards are great.”

And that is just what he is going to do in Detroit. In order to raise awareness among Michigan residents, Christian will speak at the American Diabetes Association’s 2009 Detroit Diabetes EXPO presented by Walmart on September 19 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

The Detroit Diabetes EXPO will feature: how-to product demonstrations; free health screenings; healthy cooking and exercise demonstrations; exciting workshops; an interactive Youth Zone for kids of all ages; a Senior Zone and a variety of guest speakers from the medical community, who will cover topics relevant to those with diabetes.

To avoid serious complications and related health issues, people with diabetes can take advantage of information and services like those provided at EXPO to lower the risk.  As early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes is critical, access to important resources could mean the difference between struggling with diabetes and successfully managing the disease.

The event and parking at the State Fairgrounds is free and open to the public and will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information on diabetes or the event, please visit www.diabetes.org/EXPO or call toll free at 1-800-DIABETES (1-888-342-2383).

You can read more about Christian on his blog at .