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Teen with Type 1 Diabetes shares story
Kobi Henegan has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for six years and has turned his diagnosis into a way to help other kids like him.
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. It's a time to help raise awareness about diabetes and how it impacts millions. Around 38 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Good Day's Lindsay Tuman spoke with one local teenager who has been living with a Type 1 diagnosis for six years. He's turned his diagnosis into a way to help other kids and make a huge impact.
Fourteen-year-old Kobi Henegan has a lot going on every day.
"I've got to get up at 6 to run cross country, then I've got school at 7, learning a different language from 7 to 10," Henegan said.
In between sports, school, family, and friends, Henegan is also navigating his life with Type 1 Diabetes. It's an autoimmune condition that prevents the pancreas from making insulin.
"It's like from me having to eat healthy things to needing to eat sugar at nighttime, in the morning, make sure my numbers are level, the Dexcoms, the pods, the doctor's appointments," he said.
It's been six years since Kobi got his diagnosis. At the time, it rocked his life and his family. They went to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Dunn-Hennegan said the staff helped them change their mindset.
"He said to me - they told me that I'm going to live with this until there's a cure. So are you going to cry for the rest of your life? So that for me, that just tugged at me," his mom, Kiona Dunn-Henegan said.
They decided to make something positive out of the diagnosis. Kobi has helped spread awareness about living with diabetes. He has spoken to lawmakers and schools and even wrote a book.
"It definitely makes you feel good on the inside knowing that you can help someone know that they're the only one out here. Like she used to say, you're not the only man on the island," he said.
Kobi says his biggest message to other people and kids who get diagnosed with diabetes, is it doesn't have to stand in your way of living life to the fullest.
"Yeah he's a testament to the fact that you can have this but it doesn't have to stop you from living," Dunn-Henegan said.
"It shouldn't take control of your life, I feel like you should still have complete control over your life even though you have something that not everybody else has," Henegan said.
If you want to learn more about Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes Research, you can learn more here.