Stuart Stephen

On October 4th, 1971 at the age of twelve, I was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes (T1D). I still remember hearing my Doctor tell my parents the bad news and that my life expectancy would be greatly reduced. The news was especially hard on my Mom because she had lost a sister at age seven from diabetes prior to the availability of insulin. I grew up in the country in rural Eastern Oregon and was the only kid in my school with diabetes. Luckily, Oregon had a camp for children with diabetes (Gales Creek Camp) that I attended the next summer. The camp was staffed by specialists from the Portland Diabetes Treatment Unit (nurses, dietitians, and endocrinologists) who taught me self-management. However, camp’s biggest lesson was learning I was not the only person with diabetes. After being a camper for three summers, I started working as a camp counselor during my college summers. In 1980 when Mt. St Helens rocked the Pacific NW, a camp nurse shook-up my belief that my time was short. I realized I could have an active, normal life with a good job, home and family of my own. Today, 44 years later I am happily married to that nurse with four wonderful daughters and a granddaughter. After college, we settled in Boise and I became friends with the founder of Idaho’s camp for children with diabetes, Camp Hodia. I volunteered as a camp counselor and medical staff there for 30 years. Looking back, I now see how my diabetes diagnosis influenced my destiny. However, I don’t see myself as ‘a diabetic.’ Diabetes is a condition you live with, it’s not who you are. And after living with diabetes for 54 years, I am fortunate to have a beautiful family, many true friends, a satisfying career, and an active, retired life full of adventure and travels.