DeeDee has a story to tell, and we should all take time out to listen! Destiny, age 21 was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at the young age of 2. October 2025 will make officially 20 years that she has lived with T1D. I say officially because it is believed that even before her formal diagnosis that she was showing symptoms upwards of a year beforehand. Even as an infant she had received a bunch of other diagnoses. Her blood sugar would regularly be extremely low.
She remembers as a kid having to eat a lot of sugar and being forced to eat when she wasn't hungry. Her blood sugar would drop so low, and she would seize so often that she received an epilepsy diagnosis.
She remembers in kindergarten and taking her own insulin shots and checking her blood sugar regularly and also being forced to eat upwards of 200 carbs because of her blood sugar dropping. In Highschool kids remembered her as "Destiny the girl that always had snacks."
Today, DeeDee is a student at Spellman and has been recognized nationally, including onGood Morning America for her acceptance to 56 colleges!
Living with diabetes has been a journey or a roller coaster. She would like people to know that it is a science, but it is not a simple science like many believe it is.
In college is where she was given her celiac diagnosis. Before then she suffered from a lot of insulin resistance due to her gluten intolerance. With her celiac her family and friends see it more than her diabetes and try to stand up to bat for her and accommodate her.
Recently, Destiny was forced out of school. In November 2024 she was in the hospital with DKA due to her body becoming resistant to insulin. Sometimes her body just doesn't absorb insulin correctly due to her other autoimmune diseases and whenever she gets sick, even from a cold her body transforms into a whole other thing.
While home, DeeDee found out that she has a strong and long family history of T1D. This includes her father, uncle and others on her paternal side.
She does wonder often, where in life would she be without diabetes but recognizes that she too is exactly where she's supposed to be.
