Maggie Carwile

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Maggie is 14 years old and an 9th grader at Breckinridge County High School. She is an avid volleyball player and is a TD1 warrior! Maggie’s mom, Melissa, writes Maggie’s TD1 journey.

Melissa (mom) tells Maggie's Story..

My daughter Maggie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 10 years old. For a few months before diagnosis, we saw some “red flags”. She was thirsty all of the time. She was getting up multiple times during the night to go to the bathroom. Maggie had also started looking very thin. All of her symptoms had me convinced that she had type 1 diabetes. We took her to a local urgent care because her pediatrician was on vacation. They ran tests and to make a long story short, they didn’t give us a definitive diagnosis. After calling daily for more results with no luck, and Maggie not feeling any better, I contacted Lori Bennett. I knew her son Drake was diabetic and she was very knowledgeable on the subject. She urged me to take Maggie to Louisville immediately. When we arrived at Norton Children’s Hospital, Maggie was immediately taken into the ER. They quickly confirmed that she had type 1 diabetes and that she was in Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). Her body was breaking down fat for energy and producing damaging ketones in her body. Left untreated, this is fatal. She was an extremely sick girl; we actually didn’t realize how dangerously ill she was. Maggie spent 3 days in the hospital. We have all learned so much since her diagnosis 3 years ago. What I would want everyone to know is that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It has nothing to do with her diet or lifestyle. She requires insulin every day to stay alive. She constantly has to monitor her blood sugar. No two days are the same. Everything affects her blood sugar: hormones, foods, temperature, physical activity, emotions, stress, etc.