November was National Diabetes Awareness Month and we helped spread awareness of type 1 diabetes to the community through sharing facts, stories, and highlighting T1D Champions across our region. 30 Million Americans have some form of diabetes, while 1.25 million have type 1 diabetes. Caden Kosek, a sophomore at Clemson University and a volunteer of our chapter, shared his story on having type 1 diabetes and competing in the CrossFit Elite Division, the highest division of CrossFit competition.

Caden Kosek was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at age 5 on Christmas Day. His mother has type 1 diabetes and always looked for signs and symptoms in Caden, just in case. After noticing the telltale excessive thirst and frequent urination, she tested his blood glucose with her meter. 517 was the number the meter read, and off to the hospital they went. Caden did all the things other kids his age did. He played football from childhood through high school varsity, went to sleepover parties, attended school field trips and much more.

“Though he sometimes had to sit out for a few football drives for low blood glucose, keep his backpack filled with supplies with him, and do some things other kids did not have to do, he never let his diabetes get in his way.”

Caden and his brother Colin, who is 17 years old now, founded and led a teen support group a few years ago while Caden was in high school. The group, T1 Teens, was for the support of teens with diabetes and their siblings. The group had 10 T1D teens and their siblings join in meetings and activities. Caden’s brother Colin has always been supportive of Caden and has been tested positive himself for type 1 diabetes antibodies in the Natural History Clinical Trial and has been in two interventional clinical trials to try to prevent the onset of insulin dependence. If this should happen, however, Colin knows that he will have a perfectly normal life with diabetes, just like his brother and his mother.

Caden is now a sophomore at Clemson University studying Chemical Engineering. A few years ago, he started doing CrossFit at the YMCA. He now competes in the Elite Division, the highest division of competition. He is a regular at the gym, and maintains a good fitness and nutrition routine. He wears a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump. The continuous glucose monitor has been a great help in maintaining healthy glucose levels especially with the intense workouts he does through CrossFit. He has his instant glucose remedies nearby at all times for lows experienced during exercise.

When we asked Caden what he would like others with type 1 diabetes and their families to know, he replied,

“Although type 1 diabetes requires constant management, it does not have to slow you down. Get a good routine, get a good support system. You manage diabetes, don’t let it manage you.”

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that requires management 24/7. Insulin doses must be administered many times per day and calculated carefully based on food intake, exercise, stress, illness, and many other factors. Even with a strict regimen, people with T1D may still experience dangerously high or low blood-sugar levels and complications that can, in extreme cases, be life- threatening.

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF is funding research to deliver new devices and therapies that make day-to-day life with T1D easier, safer and healthier until they can ultimately cure and prevent type 1 diabetes.

Thank you to Caden and his family for sharing their story of his diagnosis and effort to spread awareness of T1D to the community.