Sarah Harmotta

Vintondale, Pennsylvania

Diabetes has always been on the backburner in my family. From the time I was really little I always heard the word and things associated with it. As long as I can remember my mom has had type 2. I never really thought it was a serious disease because my mom never really made that big of a deal about it. Sure, she always drank diet soda and somewhat avoided sugar and sweets. But she never seemed to worry about her condition or eat anything that different from anyone else. This caused me to believe that her condition wasn't all that serious.

Then as I got a little older I saw some problems with my dad. He had pancreatitis and struggled with attacks on a regular basis. He eventually developed type 2 diabetes. He wasn't one to really care about what he ate and how it affected his body. So, I continued to believe that this really wasn't a very serious condition.

Then, when I was 8 years old, my dad passed away from complications of his pancreatitis and a few other issues. I am 16 now, and I wish that I had known more at the time about this disease, or that someone would have informed my parents more thoroughly on how serious this disease is.

My mom still has type 2 diabetes and still doesn't do very much to watch her diet. But over the last few years I have realized how serious these things can get. My dad's death and my mom's current condition have inspired me to become a dietitian specializing in diabetes. I would like to make sure that every person that is diagnosed with this disease has all the information and support they could ever hope for in order to prevent the horrible complications that can result from diabetes.