“I’M NOT GOING TO LET DIABETES TAKE OVER ME:” TWO PERSPECTIVES ON GROWING UP WITH DIABETES

Magnolia, Miss. – Magan Harvey recently graduated from Southwest Mississippi Community College, and at 21, she has begun her career in the medical field–an area that has always interested her.

She works at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in medical records, where she’s been for about a year now. And she is also a newlywed.

But her life is about more than finding a balance between being a career woman and a wife. As if she wasn’t busy enough, Harvey can add diabetes management to her list of day-to-day activities.

“It’s been a challenge, but it keeps me healthier and makes me watch what I eat,” she said with a laugh. “But I’m not held back much. I’m not going to let diabetes take over me.”

Harvey was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was six years old, so she barely remembers a life when diabetes wasn’t a part of it.

It was a time of transition for Harvey and her family. And it took some adjusting.

“It was very challenging.  We knew very little about diabetes, but we knew that it was critical that we learn and that we learn quickly.  We were bombarded with information, and it was overwhelming, especially right at first,” said Pam Berry, Magan’s mother.

Dealing with diabetes was testing, especially when she was younger, Harvey said.

Attending events centered on food was especially difficult, she added.

“But my family was very supportive, and my mom would bake me special treats and make sure that when I went to these parties I had something to eat,” Harvey said.

“For her dad and me, it was really important that her life be as normal as possible and that she be able to participate in regular childhood activities.  If there was a birthday or school class party, we would make sure that she had sugar-free cake, ice cream or soda,” Berry said.

Not even grocery shopping was simple anymore, as it would sometimes take hours, Berry said.

“Food labels did not list details like they do today, so every label on every product had to be read in order to make an informed choice. Sugar-free products were not plentiful back then,” she said. “We just did our best, and when we made mistakes, we learned from them and tried to do better.”

And a diagnosis at six meant a life of responsibility for Harvey.

“I was made aware of diabetes at six,” she said. “It was a huge responsibility to have at such a young age. Having to learn which foods I could eat and how to give myself insulin injections was challenging, but I did it.”

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM) contacted Harvey and her family a few years ago, Berry said. The company that she works for, Weyerhaeuser, participated in McComb’s first Walk for Diabetes. And the DFM has come to the company to conduct diabetes education sessions and blood-sugar screenings.

And the DFM has helped their family in even more ways.

For example, when Harvey graduated from SMCC, she was dropped from her parents’ insurance, and her part-time job offered her no insurance benefits.

“We were faced with her having no insurance coverage or unaffordable coverage, and for a person with diabetes, that is a major concern.  So, having the DFM as a resource to research options and answer questions was a tremendous relief,” said Berry.

Now Harvey and her family feel empowered to share their experiences with other people and help do their part in increasing knowledge of diabetes.

One way that they have been doing this is through the DFM-sponsored Mississippi Walk for Diabetes. The walk is part of a statewide campaign geared toward raising diabetes awareness and money for research, educational programs and other services for Mississippians. There are seven walks each in different Mississippi towns.

Each year for the past four years, Harvey and her family have participated in the Walk for Diabetes in McComb.

“We walk with the Weyerhaeuser team, which is made up of Weyerhaeuser employees, family members and friends.  Not only this team, but all teams that participate, are made up of wonderful, caring, supportive people, who are willing to fundraise and walk to bring focus to the importance of diabetes education, prevention and treatment,” said Berry.

“I see kids being diagnosed at younger ages, and I know about the importance of educating them now, and this is why I walk with the DFM– to raise awareness, show the importance of finding a cure and conquer diabetes,” Harvey said.

The DFM is the state’s only nonprofit health organization that provides diabetes research, information, patient services and advocacy, and its mission is to provide hope through research, programs and service to the 346,500 Mississippians with diabetes. Every dollar raised by the DFM stays in the state to support these efforts. Likewise, 90 cents of every dollar raised goes towards the organization’s charitable purposes. The DFM is the one diabetes organization totally dedicated to all Mississippians– from children to seniors– who live with diabetes.

McComb will host Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes on Saturday, Sept. 29. Registration begins at

9:30 a.m. at the Southwest Mississippi Regional Center. For registration details or other information about putting together a team of walkers or participating as an individual, please contact the DFM at 601-957-7878, or visit the DFM Web site, www.msdiabetes.org.