This is my first birthday on may 9th since I was 5 years old without diabetes!! I was 5 years old when I got this horrible disease, diabetes. My parents thought I had the flu. They rushed me to the pediatrician because I couldn't even keep down water. I couldn't even hold myself up in the chair. The doctor took one look at me, gave me a Pedialyte popsicle, and said, "Take her to the emergency room; she's a type 1 diabetic." We went to the emergency room, and they checked my sugars, and they were over 900. The doctors said I should've been in a coma and to thank God I'm still alive. They were all so overwhelmed with the fact I was still smiling and talking, giving them hope I'd survive. And I did!!!

The struggle was not easy growing up. I would not be allowed to sleep at friends' houses or eat the cake at birthday parties. When I would walk around with my friends, I would have to make sure I had my kit, extra insulin, and sugar on me at all times. It was chaos. And then, when I got into horses, I couldn't just go for a trail ride like everyone else; I had to make sure my diabetes was protected first. I HATED IT, EVERY PART OF IT!! I had no hope of there ever being a cure.

Fast forward to adulthood. My life was crazy. My doctor told me I probably wouldn't be able to have kids once I was of age where I would want kids at 17. A few months later, I ended up pregnant at 17. Everyone thought I did it on purpose, but I did not. They said now is your choice. I had my beautiful daughter 9 months later. I have had her father save me more times than I can count in my sleep from sugar crashes. My parents, growing up, had to give me CPR and everything; it was bad. My daughter "knew the drill" when my sugar was low or high because she grew up with me that way. I have crashed my Chevy Avalanche into a brick building while driving before and everything. My blood sugars did what they wanted when they wanted.

It was the day I had a sugar crash in my sleep and woke up and thought I could get to the kitchen myself without waking up her dad because he had to get up early for work, and I felt bad. Our beautiful daughter found me unconscious on the kitchen floor and had to get a Pepsi from the fridge and wake me up slightly and hold my head up while she gave me the Pepsi. That's when I knew something had to change. She would panic any time I was late picking her up from school, thinking, "My mom might be dead on the kitchen floor." I would go to sleep at night thinking this might be my last night. I knew then again something had to change.

I asked 3 doctors if I could get into the clinical trial I read about. They all told me no. I asked if I could do it myself; they all told me no. I then researched for weeks about clinical trials. I found the website clinicaltrials.gov and searched the Chicagoland area and found the one that best sounded like me. That brought me to the University of Chicago and Dr. Witkowski. I then emailed my life story, begging for help, and they finally responded. Dr. Witkowski met me and said, "I will cure you before you hit 30." AND THAT HE DID!!!! I HAVE BEEN INSULIN-FREE SINCE AUGUST 15TH, 2024. HE IS MY SUPERHERO. It was not an easy road, a lot of doubt and waiting, but he did it; he cured me of this lifelong disease.

All I wanted was to help the diabetic community get their hope back!!! I had a choice, and I chose to help the community. I went on news interviews and everything to spread the word. I am living proof that the cure exists!!! Life has been, well, life-changing since then. I lost my dream of owning a horse boarding facility due to diabetes, not being able to keep up with the labor. I am now in school for horse massage, laser, body alignment, and taping therapy. I will open up another horse business this year, hopefully, and follow my dreams in the horse community along with the diabetes community.

It has been a struggle being a single mother these days and trying to follow my dreams while trying to work so hard to pay off the debt I owe. I am a very prideful woman, and it's hard for me to ask for help. But I'm asking for help to pay my debt off so I can enjoy this DIABETES-FREE LIFE AND FOLLOW MY DREAMS!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

Everyone, I am obsessed with sunflowers, and not only because they are stunning but because they can grow in a field of crap and still fight through the crap and grow strong and tall and beautiful no matter what. And when a sunflower is not doing well, they turn to it and give it some of its sunshine to stand tall again. So in this crazy life, be a sunflower and fight through the crap and stand tall and beautiful and help the ones around you in need. That's again all I wanted was to give hope back to the community and let you all know I'm living proof the cure exists, and I just want to enjoy it and live up to it and own it to the best that I can and to help you all believe again!!!!

I will also donate some probably half back to the diabetes foundation and dr witkowskis foundation!!