Biographical Essay: Diabetes

I spent this past summer as a camp counselor for the Potomac School baseball camp. On the first day of camp I noticed a camper sitting under the tent by himself. On a particularly hot day, like this one, it was not out of the ordinary for a camper to take a little break. However, something felt different. The camper, who’s name i later learned was Garrett, looked especially pale and sweaty. It turned out Garrett was recently diagnosed with diabetes and was suffering from a low blood sugar. Like Garrett, I too was recently diagnosed with type one diabetes. As we walked to the nurse’s office it struck me that Garrett may not have as many supportive friends as I had to help me through. Garrett was in many ways an outsider within the camp, but to me he was a fellow diabetic.

Diabetes is one of those diseases that most people have heard of, but few really understand. At lunch breaks it was evident that Garrett felt like an outsider. Everyday Garrett had to go …show more content…
Garrett clearly did not have that sense of community the first few days of camp, but as we sat together more and more he opened up to me. He explained that none of his friends really knew why he had to go to the nurse every day and why he couldn't just eat whatever sugary foods he wants.

To this day I maintain a special relationship with Garrett and often see him around school. Some eight years of age separate us, but just because I was able to make an outsider feel welcome we now have an everlasting friendship. In my day to day life I strive to help all in the way I was able to help Garrett. Everybody deserves to feel the warmth and comfort that comes along with feeling welcome. Whether it is a small gesture of saying hi to the new kid or something larger like sitting with them at lunch, any deed you can do to make someone feel welcome is rewarding in and of