Hailey Lowe
Hailey Lowe was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the age of six. Her Kindergarten teacher thought she was “taking advantage” when she went to the bathroom ten times in one day. Her body ached, and she was constantly exhausted. On October 10, 2006, Hailey’s pediatrician sent her to the ER at UMass Memorial.
As a high school student, her personal goals for the future serve as a self-motivation to take care of her health. She looks forward to getting married, having a family, and a career.
It is well known that a healthy diet and regular physical activity are key to controlling diabetes. Always a fan of carbs, Hailey knows that people with diabetes should eat more fruit and veggies. “When watermelon, strawberries, and oranges are in season, I stock up and enjoy them!”
She finds exercise to be much easier when it’s fun. Hailey enjoys running and playing rugby. “I’m more productive at both when I have better control of my numbers.”, she said. Her Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM) gives her confidence that during a game, she will receive plenty of warning about a potential oncoming low. She packs her rugby bag with plenty of snacks, just in case.
Hailey recommends developing a relationship with your school nurse. “My nurse from elementary school was recently my confirmation sponsor. Having her in my life has been such a blessing. She taught me how to take care of myself and has made managing my diabetes so much easier.”
The UMass Pediatric Diabetes Care Team is very important to her. “They all care about me as an individual, not just because it's their job.”, says Hailey. “I know the staff genuinely wants me to succeed.”
She has become very good at “guesstimating” with carbs. “I have a lot of fun guessing what my numbers will be before I check.”, she said. “I have contests with other diabetics to see who has better numbers, the best A1C or the lowest insulin dose.”
Her endocrinologist, Dr. Leslie Soyka, is proud of Hailey. “She has consistently worked hard to improve her level of control and has achieved this with the support of her family. Hailey is always a pleasure to see. She is upbeat and makes friends with everyone in the clinic. She also has had to manage several other medical issues in addition to T1D and never seems to complain and maintains a positive attitude about her health care.”
Hailey raiseed money for JDRF through their fundraising walks when they were in Central Mass. Her team name was “HaiLowe” and the team motto says it all:
“Walk with the angels and help find a cure for diabetes”