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Youth ambassador won't let diabetes slow her down By John Bkila OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF On a Friday afternoon, 11-year-old Lucy McFarland practises some drills with her soccer ball at a park right beside her school at Pilgrim Wood Public School. After nearly 15 minutes of kicking the ball in the air and having shots taken on her while in net, the fifth grader sits down for a little breather. Beside her, her mom Jill, reminds her to check her levels. Without skipping a beat, Lucy tests her blood sugar level with her glucometer -- a machine that links directly to an insulin pump, which goes straight into her abdomen. With her blood sugar reading already in her pump, Lucy counts the number of carbohydrates of the pre-prepared snack she is about to eat, and enters it into the pump, which then figures out how much insulin she'll need in order to break down the food -- this varies during the day, depending on the carb count. Done every time she eats and checks her blood sugar levels (on average nine times a day), it's a ritual both Lucy and Jill have come to know well and do efficiently, along with most children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. But Lucy doesn't let the metabolic disease she's had since she was eight years old stop her from being an active kid -- once a week she plays soccer for the Oakville Soccer Club in her favourite position, goalie, and goes to a hiphop dance class. In addition, she also runs track and field for her school. "Don't let diabetes get in the way. It's hard to manage, but it shouldn't stop you from being a kid... it's just something you have to get used to," Lucy told The Oakville Beaver in a recent interview. It's that piece of advice she's promoting as one of this year's youth 25 · Friday, June 1, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com nikki wesley / oakville beaver / @halton_photog Visual Arts June 3 & 10: The June 1: Oakville Arts Oakville Arts Society Society workshop: Introduction to Metal presents: Magic of Paper Clay with Clay with Instructor Instructor Kirsty Wilson Jennifer Jevons. Cost from 10 a.m. to 3 $140 plus $20 tool kit. p.m. Cost $65 or for Class is limited to only OAS members - $50. 6 students. For more For more information information email: contact info@oakvilleartsociety.com info@oakvilleartsociety.com. June 1: ArtWorks 13th Annual Juried Show Town Hall during regular business hours for show and sale! Come see incredible artists from in and around Oakville. For more information email: chloevisualarts@gmail.com June 3: Artworks Presents: "Intersections" Elizabeth Elkin Solo Art Show takes place at Julia's Restaurant at 312 Lakeshore Road East. Contact Halina at 905-338-1881 for more information or email: info@artworks.ca. June 9: The Oakville Arts Society presents Vibrant Hand Painting on Silk with Instructor Irene Monique Salehi. is workshop takes place at 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost $250. To register e-mail: info@oakvilleartsociety.com June 14: The Oakville Arts Society presents: Dynamic Little Watercolours with Instructor Elisabeth A Gibson SCA, SCA CSPWC. Cost $90 or for OAS members $75. To register or for more information email: info@oakvilleartsociety.com June 11, 12 & 13: The Oakville Arts Society presents OIL with COLD WAX: CONTEMPORARY PAINTING with Instructor Janice Mason Steeves. COLD WAX I. To register email: info@oakvilleartsociety.com. Performing Arts June 2: Jonathans "J-Bistro" features jazz guitarist Curtis Ray Smith every Saturday night from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. For more information, visit: www. curtisraysmith. com or reverbnation. com/ curtisraysmith June 15: Oakville Arts Society presents Realism to Abstract in Watercolour & How To Control Shapes In a Wet Painting with Instructor Merv Richardson. Cost $165 or $150 for OAS members. For more info: June 18, 19 & 20: The Oakville Arts Society presents, OIL with COLD WAX: CONTEMPORARY PAINTING with Instructor Janice Mason Steeves. COLD WAX II. For more info: info@oakvilleartsociety.com. Literary Arts June 2: "Writing for Children and for Young Adults, the world's hottest market" with Brian Henry, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Oakville Central Library, 120 Navy Street. To reserve a spot now, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca June 9: "How to Get Published" with Brian Henry and his guest, literary agent Monica Pacheco. Four Corners Library, 65 Queen St E. Brampton .To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@ sympatico.ca June 25 to 28: The Oakville Arts Society presents: A Comprehensive Approach to Landscape Painting in Oil with Instructor Harold Frontz. Cost $280 or $270 for OAC members. For information visit www.oakvilleartsociety.com. Heritage & Culture June 24: The Bronte Historical Society hosts Tea on the Bluffs to be held on the Sovereign House lawn, foot of West River Street. Tickets $10 in advance, $12 at the door. For information call 905-825-5552. June 16: "How to Get Published" with Brian Henry and guest, literary agent Carly Watters. Volunteer Hamilton, 267 King St. E, Hamilton To reserve a spot now, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca June 27: The Oakville Arts Society presents: Painting Flowers that Glow in Watercolour with instructor Ann Fullerton. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost $50 or $40 for OAC members. For information visit www.oakvilleartsociety.com. snack time: JDRF Youth Ambassador Lucy McFarland leads a fun and active life, participating in dance, track and soccer regardless of her type 1 diabetes. After discovering that her levels were a little low, Lucy enjoys a snack. ambassadors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Canada. "I was surprised when I was first told. I didn't know what a youth ambassador was," Lucy said. But being the "spunky, forward thinker," her mom describes her as, Lucy's next question to her mom was, "Can I put this on my college application?" The youth ambassador serves as a representative of the JDRF and helps increase the awareness and understanding of diabetes by attending and speaking at several foundation kickoff events during the year, including the upcoming TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes on June 10 in Mississauga, which Lucy has participated in since she was diagnosed. "It's just something fun to do. I like to walk. And it's a great way to let people know more about diabetes, so hopefully we can find a cure," she said. Lucy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just before her eighth birthday, which means her pancreas does not produce insulin, as it normally should, and the glucose levels in her body build up in her blood, rather than being used for energy. The side effects of having high blood-sugar levels are stroke, heart disease, amputations and even death, while low blood-sugar levels can result in seizures, comas and also death. "I was devastated when we found out," Jill said, on discovering her daughter had diabetes. "We learned what this would mean for Lucy for the rest of her life." In 2004, Lucy had complained of having a sore stomach and her mom noticed her drinking an abnormal amount of water every day. After being told by a doctor that Lucy merely had a bladder infection, Jill says she gave her daughter plenty of orange and cranberry juice. Lucy began vomiting every hour, and then every half hour, to the point where she couldn't keep anything down. "Something in me said, I needed to take her to the hospital," Jill said. "It was there that the doctor told us she had diabetes, thinking we already knew." For the first three months, Lucy would have to take an insulin shot three times a day, but after speaking with a neighbourhood friend who also had type 1 diabetes, Jill learned of the insulin-pump method and Lucy switched. "It's a much more regimented process, but at least this way, Lucy can still eat what she wants, but all she has to do is count the number of carbs." The insulin pump lasts for five years and has a thin tube, called a cannula, that is injected straight into the abdomen -- living in "three-day increments," as Jill describes, the cannula has to be changed every third day to prevent the body from healing over it. Having spoken at several events already in Oakville and the surrounding area, Lucy says she no longer gets nervous before getting up infront of crowds to share her story and spread awareness of diabetes, and looks forward to the June 10 walk. For more information or to sponsor Lucy at the Walk to Cure Diabetes, visit www.jdrf.ca/walk, click on Pledge a participant and enter the team name Laced up for Lucy in the search box. John Bkila can be reached at jbkila@oakvillebeaver.com and followed on Twitter at @NewsHooked. For more arts event listings visit www.oakvillearts.com or call 905-815-5977. Join the Oakville Arts Council today. JUNE 19-20: GOTTA SING, GOTTA DANCE CELEBRATE SENIORS' MONTH AND THE "ART OF STAYING YOUNG" with the Burlington Footnotes. For tickets call the Burlington Performing Arts Centre Visit www.burlingtonfootnotes.com OAKVILLE'S MUSIC STORE 324 Kerr St. 905-339-3515 w w w. g e a r m u s i c . n e t Box Office 905 681-6000. Culture Days Information Session Wednesday, June 6 at 7 p.m. Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, Oakville Register online at: To be a part of this monthly calendar supporting The Oakville Arts Council, please contact Alycia Howe at 905-845-3824 ext 278 www.oakvillearts.com or ahowe@oakvillebeaver.com