Kate’s Story
I was a happy healthy girl living in Ontario, Canada just about to head into my competitive dance season. After Christmas, I was sick with flu like symptoms, but it was flu season and a lot of kids I new were sick. The problem was that all my friends got better, but I didn’t bounce back. I am normally super active so my mom took me to my pediatrician and we were told it was the flu and sent home to wait it out. My symptoms got worse so the second trip to the doctor, I was told I had pneumonia and was put on antibiotics. I had zero energy, I was thirsty all the time and was going to the bathroom a lot more than usual. I missed a ton of school and dance which is not usual for me and I could barely get off the couch. When my eyes became blurry and I started throwing up, my parents really began to worry. My mom insisted that doctor have my blood work done because something was just not right. An hour after my test we got a call that I needed to head straight to the emergency room at the children’s hospital. The doctor told us that my blood sugar was 44 (normal is between 4-7) and I was officially diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. It was March 1, 2017.
The next few weeks were a blur, as I learned the everyday routine of my new life as a diabetic. It was very frustrating - finger pokes, insulin injections, carb counting, being woken up in the middle of the night to test – but the worst part was the realization that I had to do this for the rest of my life. Once I got back to school and dance I realized that I could still do everything I did before just a bit differently. Three months after my diagnosis I founded Sugardrop Sweetwear Company. My brand came about naturally because when I test, that one drop of blood we called a Sugardrop! Sugardrop is for everyone, not only those with T1D because as more and more people wear my brand, they are spreading T1D awareness and our message that “One Sugardrop could save a life. Your life.”
Now I live my life with more passion than I did before my diagnosis. I am now an entrepreneur and social activist taking action to educate people about the early signs of T1D. My mission to raise awareness about T1D through my Sugardrop brand has allowed me to contribute to finding a cure and helping others get through their initial diagnosis. Since launching Sugardrop, the support has been overwhelming. When parents, kids and teens reach out to me to say that I have helped them, it makes this journey so worthwhile. How many 12 year olds can say that they found their purpose in life and have their own company? I would not have any of this without my diagnosis, but my choice to turn something negative into a something positive has made the difference. T1D doesn’t stop me one bit from living my life to the fullest. I feel even more determined, positive, and passionate about my sweet T1D life!
I am proud to be T1D.
Kate Beaulieu