Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:22:53 -0800WeeblySun, 03 Jul 2011 21:11:07 -0800http://www.pardonedonline.com/1/post/2011/07/chance-featured-in-local-newspaper.htmlBoy doesn't let juvenile diabetes slow him down

Family hopes to start support group for area youths with juvenile diabetes

Energetic 7 yr. old Chance Doering waits on the next pitch in the baseball game. Will the batter strike out or hit the ball? Chance plays second base and kicks some dirt and jams his fist into his leather glove. He'll be ready if it does. Then he impatiently wipes sweat from his brow in the sweltering heat. He sure could use another drink, it is so hot outside and he has an insatiable thirst. Chance's attention is suddenly diverted from the ballgame. He has to go to the restroom, again, and now! 

Chance's parents, Terra and Ray Doering, who live along Highway 190 East in Grant County, remember the game well. He had to take a bathroom break five times before the game was over. That fateful ballgame last spring forever changed the Doering family. Terra said she became suspicious that something was wrong and took Chance to see his family physician on April 27, 2010.

"He was drinking and urinating, a lot, but at first I contributed the heat factor," she said. "It was baseball season and the more you play and sweat the more you drink, so the more you use the restroom, but it got to a point of going 10-plus times a night. The day that was the final straw was a 75 minute baseball game and he had to go to the restroom five times."

"So we called his PCP at Watson Chapel Family Practice and got him in the following day, they did a finger prick, and a urine test, then had us go to the waiting room, talk about a long wait. It was only about 10 minutes but it felt like a hour," she continues. " The nurse then called us back to the exam room and Dr. Scott Nichols came in and said, 'Boy, what am I gonna do with you?' like he playfully always does, but I knew something was different this time. Then as he grabbed my hand and Chance's hand he told us, ' chance has diabetes, his sugar level was 514, and his ketone level is large, his A1C was 11.2. I am going to call Children's Hospital and I need ya'll to go to the emergency room entrance where they will be expecting you. Call Ray and have him bring some clothes, ya'll will be up there a few days, but they will get you all fixed up buddy."

Doering said while she did not quite understand the magnitude of what the doctor was saying initially, she knew he was serious.

"Of course I didn't know any of this lingo he was talking about, but I knew it didn't sound good. So we went and then had to do a lot of studying over the next couple of days to figure all these things out from lingo to care to mathematical equations and maintenence. Wow! That was a lot to take in," she exclaimed. "Now knowing what these things meant I can explain them better to someone else." Doering quickly used some lingo of her own.

"Of course 'sugar level' is what his blood sugar amount is. Rations for Chance are as follows - lower end of good is 70, higher end of good is 150, so of course 514 was way over good," she said. "Ketones are the level of sugar that has built up and now is in your urinary tract. When you are sick or your sugar is too high the sugar will get in there, too. the best level is negative! A1C is an estimate of blood glucose level from the past three months. At Chance's last check up, he was a 7.7 which is an approximate average of a 190 glucose."

Doering said it is not known what led Chance, who is now 8 years old, to become a diabetic, especially at such a young age and since no one else in his family has been diagnosed.

"That is a very difficult question to answer because research shows multiple different contributing factors into who or why someone gets it. However JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) has done tons of studies that do show that 40% of everyone carries the HLA gene, but a person whould have to have two copies of the gene to be at an increased risk. They also have done studies though about possible unkown outside environmental factors constributing," she said. " it is a lot more common than most people think. Type 1 diabetes occurs in approximately one out of every 500 people, but only approximately 10 percent of people with Type 1 have a primary relative that has it as well. We have nobody in our family with it. How he become diabetic is also fairly difficult, and some of this answer will just be from the definition of what Type 1 diabetes is."

Doering clarified Type 1 diabetes using the JDRF explanation: "Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys certain cells in the pancreas, an organ about the size of a hand that is located behind the lower part of the stomach. These cells called beta cells are contained, along with other types of cells, within small islands of endocrine cells called the pancreatic islets. Beta cells normally produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body move he glucose contained in food into cells throught the body, which use it for energy. But when the beta cells are destroyed, no insulin can be produced, and the glucose stays in the blood instead, where it can cause serious damage to all the organ ststems of the body, For this reason, people with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin in order to stay alive," she continued. "this means undergoing multiple injections daily, or having insulin delivered through an insulin pump, and testing thier blood sugar by pricking thier fingers for blood six or more times a day. People with diabetes must also carefully balance thier food intake and thier exercise to regulate thier blood sugar levels, in an attempt to avoid hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) reactions, which can be life threatening."

Fortunately, Chance has not suffered from any serious medical effects thus far in his young life, although most of the impact in his life come socially.

"Surprisingly, very very few, which is great," Doering said in regard to if there are any restrictions that limit Chance's activities. "With physical activity he just has to check his sugar a little bit more often because it can make him get a little low sometimes, but otherwise he can do any and everything all the other kids do."

"There are very few problems so far, but most of those are not medical except occasional extreme fatigue or mood swings from highs or lows," she continued. "His fingertips are numb from all the pricks - just slight diabetic neuropathy. But actually half of the issues are social, like from the fact that he can't just go and stay the night with so and so at school or go on the field trip byhimself, which he actually enjoys that part. Since he has to be monitoed by someone that is trained to handle any situation with him, there are limited people that he can be with by himself.

All the monitoring and strict scheduling can sometimes interfere with the activites of this rambunctious boy who would rather play baseball, hunt, fish, ride four-wheelers and do just about anything outdoors. But overall, Chance, who will be a third grader at Sheridan Intermediate School this fall, takes his medical condition in stride and doesn't let it slow him down.

"He has handled it like a champ, I could not be more proud of him for anything in the world," Doering said, "He is so strong and determind and smart. He told me recently, 'Momma,you know I wanted to go to the army but God must have known something bad would happen to me there so maybe that's why he gave me this, that way I couldn't go.' I just had to say 'maybe' and walk away, and then I giggled and had to tell everyone cause it was so dang cute and smart as awhip to think of such complex things like that. There are moments he gets a little frustrated from having to stop what he's doing because it is 'time,' Kids don't have times they just go and play, but we do. Everything is done by a clock and planned out carefully, he knows times and what they mean. I say, ' Chance, it's 8:45.' He knows it is time for a sugar check, Lantus shot, snack and bed."

Chance, who gets pretty quiet and fidgety when it comes to responding to questions about his condition, said although he has to monitor his food and activity he tries his best to live a normal life, much as any other young boy would.

"I just watch what I eat and I take shots and do pricks," Chance stated. "Well, when I didn't have diabetes I could sleep later and didn't have to stop playing to check my sugar and didn't have to pack lots of stuff all the time to go somewhere." Even at such a young age, Chance has become quite active in trying to make others aware of jevenile diabetes and raising funds for research. " I don't want us to have this anymore so we raise money by doing stuff, like mom sells Avon and takes pictures and I like the car washes, they are fun. And we all walk in Little Rock, and I tell people so they know what it is. It's different from the other kind of diabetes, I can't get rid of it." he said.

When asked if he has any words of wisdom for another child who might be struggling with juvenile diabetes, Chance responded, " I would tell them stay active and eat health. And you're just like the other kids, you just gotta take medicine and have your family watch you good."

In response to Chance's statement, his mother added the name of her photography company is "One Day Photography." As in one day there will be a cure. One day photography can be found online on facebook, and Avon products may be ordered by contacting Terra on her personal facebook page.

In addition, a marathon is scheduled for Sept. 17 at the Big Dam Bridge at Murray Park. Proceeds go to the JDRF.

Anyone who would like to sign up to walk on Chance's team, appropriately named "A Chance for Change" can go to http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/achanceforchange His goal is to raise $1,000. The proceeds from the Avon and photograph sales go to Chance's walk team.

To learn more about this rowdy boy with lots of spirit his family, which includes his grandparents Gina and Lee Harper and Aunt Misti Neisius, has created a heart touching video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj3ZEBLaFlQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The Doerings want any other families in the community who have children with juvenile diabetes to realize that they are not alone and they, too, know what you're going through.

"If there are any parents of other diagnosed children with JD that would like to start a local support branch, I would love to be able to do that," Terra Doering stated. "I'd like to have activity days just for them, too." Currently the only local branch is in Jefferson Country, Grant County does not have one."

Families interested in a support group can contact Doering locally through her Facebook page.
]]>Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:08:49 -0800http://www.pardonedonline.com/1/post/2011/07/update1.htmlPlease check back often as we will provide updates on our Grandson Chance and his case of Juvenille Diabetes. In upcoming updates, we will provide ways you can support Chance and all those suffering. If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please do so. We look forward to bring
you the latest. Love you all and thanks for your support of Pardoned!

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