Christine's Crusaders: Fighting Juvenile Diabetes One Step at a Time

Everyone remembers being 13-years-old. Those fun, exciting and sometimes even awkward moments that flourish in middle school as everyone develops his or her own identity.

But imagine being that age and in addition to soccer practices, theater auditions and math homework, you are responsible for monitoring your own blood sugar injecting yourself with insulin.

That is the reality for Christine Kenny, 13, who attends Matawan Aberdeen Middle School. On Nov. 6, 1999, when Christine was was only 22 months old, she was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. Since that time, Christine has had to test her blood sugar 10-15 times a day and takes 4 insulin injections a day. Christine has been testing her own blood sugar by pricking her finger since she was in Kindergarten. She has been doing her own insulin injections since Second Grade. Christine has pricked her finger to test her blood sugar over 50,000 times. She has taken about 17,000 insulin shots.

Christine, who enjoys school, plays the piano, plays tennis, and does Irish Step Dance, does not let diabetes stop her. Her life, however, is disrupted by the demands of her diabetes.

Christine has taken an active role in raising awareness for Type 1 Diabetes. Not only is she now captain of her team, she has been in several public service announcements for the JDRF which appear on TV and in the movies as well as two print ads which have appeared in many magazines for years, including “TIME” and “Teen Vogue.” She openly speaks about having diabetes in an effort to educate people. Her most proud accomplishment occurred in 5th grade when she won a "Dear Mr. President" contest run by Scholastic Books. She wrote a letter to President Obama, urging him to support medical research. In her letter, Christine explained her life with Type 1 Diabetes and why funding for medical research is so important. To her delight, President Obama wrote her a personal response!

"Christine's Crusaders" is participating in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes this Sunday, October 9, 2011 in Avon, NJ. "Christine's Crusaders" was established as a JDRF family walk team in 2000 by Stephanie and Chuck Kenny for their daughter, Christine. Christine Kenny, now an eighth grade student at Matawan Aberdeen Middle School, is the team captain.

The walk is organized by the JDRF which is a charity that raises money to fund research with the goal of finding a cure for Juvenile Diabetes. Type 1 ( Juvenile) Diabetes is an auto-immune disorder in which a person's pancreas produces no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is necessary to convert food into energy. People with Type 1 Diabetes must take multiple insulin injections daily in order to survive. Managing Type 1 diabetes also includes constant monitoring of blood sugar levels, calculating insulin dose to match carbohydrate intake, and being prepared for the potential hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) reactions which can be life threatening.

Christine is determined to find a cure for diabetes. Since their first walk in 2000, "Christine's Crusaders" has raised over $225,000.00 for the JDRF. The team has received the Top Family Fundraising Team Award for the Monmouth County Walk on several occasions. Christine's Crusaders will keep walking until they find a cure! For more information on how to donate go to JDRF.org.