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CNN Sunday Morning

Diabetes Affects 16 Million Americans

Aired June 24, 2001 - 08:37   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In health news, a look at diabetes, a disease that strikes 16 million Americans, including children.

Some facts now on diabetes: It's the nation's seventh leading killer. Up to 10 percent of patients have type II diabetes, which effects mostly children. Type II diabetes effects up to 95 percent of patients, usually after the age of 40.

Now, this weekend about 200 young diabetes victims are attending the children's congress 2001 in Washington and they plan to testify before Congress to get more funding for juvenile diabetes research.

Two of those children are joining us this morning from Washington. Caroline Rowley is 11 years old and Nick Schapiro is 16. Welcome to both of you. Thanks for being with us this morning.

NICK SCHAPIRO, 16-YEAR-OLD DIABETIC: How you doing?

CAROLINE ROWLEY, 11-YEAR-OLD DIABETIC: Hi.

PHILLIPS: Good to see you. Nick, why don't we begin with you and tell me what it's like, on a daily basis, when you wake up in the morning, what do you have to do to take care of yourself?

SCHAPIRO: Well, the first thing I do is I test my blood sugar using a blood monitor. And I'm hoping it'll be between about 70 and 120, but chances are that won't happen, being a diabetic.

After that, I'll give an injection of insulin, which will, I don't know, just for eating, you know, insulin, it will help my blood sugar.

PHILLIPS: And Caroline, do you go through the same thing in the morning?

ROWLEY: Yes, ma'am, only I'm on a pump, so instead of giving myself a shot, I insert it through a tube into my stomach and I change that catheter about every three days.

PHILLIPS: Wow, and do you guys do this all on your own?

SCHAPIRO: Yes.

ROWLEY: Yes, ma'am. PHILLIPS: Wow. Well, let's talk about when the two of you first found out that you had diabetes. Caroline, why don't you begin and do you remember, was it mom or dad that told you? Do you remember when that happened and maybe what was going through your mind?

ROWLEY: Yes, ma'am. My mom told me what it was and I really didn't understand what it was because I was only six and all I knew was that I was going to be taking shots for the rest of my life and I really, I wasn't happy about that, because I had always been really scared of shots. So, living with this was going to be like pure torture because I hated shots.

PHILLIPS: Well, how about now? How are you dealing with it now? And also, how do you talk to your friends about it? Do you have to sort of prep them in case something goes wrong?

ROWLEY: Yes, ma'am. All of my friends know everything in my emergency kit and they know how to give me shots and they know my blood sugar levels and what to do if something goes wrong.

PHILLIPS: Has anything ever gone wrong and a friend has had to help you out?

ROWLEY: No, ma'am, not yet. I have had hypoglycemia once, but that wasn't around my friends and hypoglycemia is where your blood sugar goes too low and you kind of, you're not functioning properly because there is not enough sugar in your blood, and I had to go to the hospital for that.

PHILLIPS: Now, Nick, how about you? What's the understand for you about what's happening to your body?

SCHAPIRO: Well, at first it was similar for me. I was scared. I had no idea what diabetes was. My doctor had told me and, I don't know, I thought I would like die and didn't know I would still be here today. I mean, it's a scary thing.

PHILLIPS: Did you have to educate your friends also?

SCHAPIRO: Yes, I did. It was good. They were understanding, so...

PHILLIPS: Have they ever had to respond or help you out?

SCHAPIRO: No, fortunately, not yet.

PHILLIPS: Now, Nick, specifically, what kind of progress do you think has been made since you were first diagnosed? Are you hopeful? Are you seeing good things happening with regards to research?

SCHAPIRO: Oh, yeah. Definitely good things. I started out giving three injections a day and then after a couple of years of that I used an insulin pump for the next year, so there was so more progress there. And now actually I'm on a new type of insulin called Lantis and we're hoping eventually they'll have inhalers so we can inhale insulin. And then with stem cell research, we're hoping to find a cure just as soon as we can.

PHILLIPS: So, Nick, what made you want to get involved in this fight for a cure and testify before Congress and be very vocal? I mean, not a lot of people your age will get on CNN and talk about something like this.

SCHAPIRO: Yeah. Well, I don't know. Just, so many more people are being diagnosed with diabetes and there are so many complications, that I just feel, I'm just doing my part by helping and speaking out.

PHILLIPS: Caroline, how about you? What inspired you?

ROWLEY: I wanted -- I know there's a million diabetics out there and I wanted -- I was given the chance to speak out for all of them and help them find a cure, and I really wanted to take advantage of that. And so, that's what we're doing.

PHILLIPS: Well, let me ask you guys both this question. Caroline, we'll start with you. If you could just wave your magic wand and wish for anything, what would it be?

ROWLEY: I would wish that I could cure, like, pretty much all the diseases and everything in the world, like world hunger, and everything. But mostly diabetes because that's what I'm effected with.

PHILLIPS: Nick, how about you.

SCHAPIRO: I'd probably do the same thing. A cure for diabetes and all the other terrible diseases out there, try to cure them.

PHILLIPS: Alright. Before we let you go, we've got to ask you this too. Before you get ready to go before Congress, tell me, both of you tell me, what are you going to say to these politicians? Caroline?

ROWLEY: I'm going to tell them that complications don't come later in life, because I'm already experiencing kidney problems and I've only had this for five years. And if they don't cure it now, you know, I might have my dreams destroyed and maybe even die. So, they have to act soon, not later.

PHILLIPS: Nick?

SCHAPIRO: I'm just going to tell them to try to give us as much money as possible, especially for stem cell research. We really do need a cure as soon as we can get one.

PHILLIPS: Well, you guys keep pursuing those dreams. I'm extremely proud of you. Everybody who has met you this morning has said the same thing. Thank you both for joining us. Caroline Rowley and Nick Schapiro, we honor you both this morning.

SCHAPIRO: Thank you. ROWLEY: Thank you.

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