It all started with a burn in her chest which led to a visit to the doctors.

“The day I was diagnosed, I remember crying a lot and having a lot of fear,” said sophomore Dana Simmons.

The doctor had unsettling news. Rushing to the hospital after finding out that there was an 80 percent chance she could have diabetes was one of the scariest moments in Dana’s life. On Oct. 6, 2010, Dana was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She was 11 years old. When diagnosed, the doctor told her that she could have been in a coma if she waited just an hour longer.

Three days in the hospital learning about the disease eased her fear. Dana must now inject insulin to her bloodstream, check her blood sugar constantly throughout the day and must be aware of her sugar intake. This meant her life would never be the same.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic and possibly life-threating disease that occurs when the production of insulin, a liquid that helps the process of sugar in the pancreas, stops.

“As an 11-year-old, I did not know a lot about diabetes, only that it was a very serious disease that I would have forever,” Dana said.

According to American Diabetes Association, about 208,000 Americans under the age of 20 are estimated to have diabetes. The type of diabetes Dana has requires a lot of work and time to keep under control. She manages her blood sugar levels with the OmniPod insulin pump. This tiny machine injects insulin to her blood stream. She also uses a DEX com G4 continuous glucose monitor which checks her blood sugar every five minutes and sends her a reading.

“My life can be very stressful when balancing school, sports, friends and family, and on top of that, managing my diabetes,” Dana said. “I went from living a normal carefree life to taking on many responsibilities that not many people my age have to take on.”

Despite her diabetes, she is involved in both cross country and track at SMCHS. Diabetes plays a huge role in the activities she participates in. With her blood sugar never at a consistent level while she exercises, she must be cautious at all times.

“Managing diabetes while running cross country can be very challenging,” Dana said. “Making sure my blood sugar is not too low or not too high to run can be hard while adrenaline spikes my blood sugar and running drops it.”

For Dana, not all things have changed for the worst. Through many struggles came a bright outcome..

“I don’t think diabetes has changed my life, but my lifestyle,” she said. “I feel like it has made me a stronger person and it has given me the ability to look at everything on the perspective of ‘it could be worse’.”

Her mother, Helga Simmons has been the most helpful person in Dana’s life. Little things like when Helga brings Dana sugar in the middle of the night and enforces the concept of “always being positive” are what make Helga such a supportive person for her daughter.

“Although I am very independent while managing this disease, I would not have been able to handle it how I do today if it wasn’t from the help of my mom,” Dana said.

Helga trusts Dana, and knows she is responsible enough to take care of the disease, even though Helga does worry about her child’s health.

“Although Dana manages the diabetes as best as she can, the disease is unpredictable,” Helga said. “My biggest fears are her not waking up in the morning and her not coming home one day.”

Dana, along with 347 million people worldwide, hope for a cure that takes away this devastating disease.

“I don’t remember what it was like to live a non-diabetic life, but I would love to experience the freedom again,” she said.

Type 1 diabetes has not stopped Dana. Through support, she has survived through five years of the disease and the complications that come with it.

“I think just having friends and family around to help me out has definitely made the disease feel like I am not fighting it alone,” she said.

Dana lives out her life and sets an important example for others: don’t let your struggles stop you from moving forward; don’t let them stop you from living your life.