During our birthday in October, we asked subscribers to share what they would name their own crate and why. Meet “The Type Onedurful Makelle,” a future world changer who doesn’t back down in the face of unexpected trials.
GIRLS CAN! CRATE: How old are you?
Makelle: 12
GC!C: What kinds of things do you like to do?
M: I like gymnastics, biking, surfing, cooking and spending time with my family.
GC!C: What do you want to be when you grow up?
M: Some type of Surgeon (I’m not sure what type yet), or I want to start my own business.
GC!C: In April we will be celebrating a chef who was very creative and helped introduce a new way to think about food to the United States. What does it mean, to you, to be creative?
M: To be creative for me means to do something new or something other people haven’t done before. I notice that I am the most creative when I am trying to find a solution to a problem I have.
GC!C: You said if you could name your own crate it would be “The Type Onedurful Makelle,” why would you name your crate that?
M: One month after my 10 year old birthday, I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. This means that my pancreas no longer produces insulin. Because of this, I must give myself insulin injections to stay alive. I wear a pump that gives me insulin and a continuous glucose monitor to help me control my blood sugar. This is why we say that I am Type-One-Durful. I have Type One Diabetes but I still live a wonderful life!!
GC!C: In your entry you said, “life is to be enjoyed and that trials can make us stronger,” how do you stay strong?
M: Living with Type One is a hard thing but it has shown me that I have the courage to do hard things. Because I live with a daily challenge, I have learned that I can trust myself more doing difficult things when they arise. I know I will be able to get through every challenge now, even if it is not easy.
I also stay strong by leaning on my family and others for support. I know that sometimes shots will hurt and my medical gear will occasionally fail but that is temporary, and my positive attitude when things aren’t going right, makes ALL the difference.
GC!C: What do you wish people knew about diabetes? What things do you wish they didn’t know---meaning, things that aren’t true but they think are true?
M: I wish people knew that people who have Type One Diabetes didn’t do anything to “make” it happen to them. It has nothing to do with eating too much sugar, it just happens because our pancreas stops making insulin and there's nothing we can do to prevent it or to “get it.”
I also wish people understood that I have no eating restrictions, I can eat anything as long as I take insulin with the food.
The last thing I wish people knew was that not only do I not have eating restrictions, I also don’t have physical restrictions. I love to be active!
Modern medicine and technology has made Type One a very manageable condition!
GC!C: What role does food play in diabetes?
M: As a person with Type One Diabetes, I have to always be aware of my blood glucose number. That is the number that tells me how much sugar is in my blood. I can check that in one of two ways, by pricking my finger and testing a drop of blood or by looking at my glucose number on my continuous glucose monitor. There are several things that affect my glucose but the biggest factor is the food I eat.
When I eat now, I have to count the number of carbohydrates that I am eating so that I can calculate how much insulin I will need to take to absorb those carbs. If you don’t have Type One, then your body does all those calculations on its own.
Some cool things about having Type One are - I am somewhat of an expert now on being able to look at foods and pretty accurately guess how many carbs they will have! I am also really good at math now because I am constantly doing mental math to figure out the ratio of carbohydrates to insulin that I need. There is always a silver lining to every hard thing!
GC!C: What are some of your favorite foods?
M: My favorite foods are pasta, hamburgers, potatoes and cookies.
GC!C: From your crates, who has inspired you the most?
M: The Pirate for sure!
GC!C: Why did Grace O’Malley inspire you?
M: I liked how adventurous she was at a time when women were not supposed to be adventurous!
GC!C: What has been your favorite challenge and why?
M: I really loved making the old treasure map because I did it with my little sister and it was such a fun adventure! I also loved doing the rocket ship with my sisters.
GC!C: Who else inspires you?
M: My family inspires me because they each try to support me in their own way and I love watching my two sisters accomplish their own great things!
GC!C: f you could meet anyone from now or history, who would you want to meet?
M: I would like to meet Marie Curie because she inspires me with her desire to know and understand science. I love that she used her powerful mind to create solutions to problems. My favorite creation of hers is the X-ray!
GC!C: What are some of your favorite things to learn about in school?
M: I love to write, learn about history, science and philosophy.
GC!C: Finish this sentence: I am awesome because….
M: I have learned to adapt to what life has given me!
GC!C: Finish this sentence: Girls can…
M: …do absolutely anything they set out to accomplish!
Thanks, Makelle! We are so inspired by you and can’t wait to see how you continue to change the world!