Spotlight on Diabetes
~ Did I Forget To Mention That I Have Diabetes? ~

by Laura Berghoff




My name is Laura Berghoff. I am a 12 year old 7th grader who lives and attends school in Beverly Hills, California. I take part and usually excel in a wide varied of activities. I play the piano, have an "A' average in school, play club soccer and competitive tennis, torment my older brother... you get the picture. All pretty good stuff, don't you agree?
Oh, pardon me, I forgot to mention that I have had Type 1 Diabetes since I was 4 years old.

I remember that when I was diagnosed with this disease, my doctor told my parents and me that I should look at life, "not as a diabetic, but rather as a perfectly normal kid who happens to have diabetes." I think that my doctor was right: my diabetes has never prevented me from doing anything that other kids do. With the encouragement of my parents, I have gone in the opposite diction - I always strive to be the best at what I do, and, I have often succeeded.

I have found that, in some ways, a disease like diabetes has made me a stronger person. I have to be very disciplined in my life. Each day I have to take at least 8 blood tests (even more on the days that I play sports!),2 or 3 insulin shots, and be very careful what I eat and how much I eat. When I exercise, I have to change the amount of food and insulin I take. My Dad jokes that I "have to think like a pancreas" since my pancreas no longer produces the insulin that I need to live. All in all, this complicated daily routine has taught me to pay attention to details, to discipline myself, and to try harder than the next person at everything that I do.

I guess that this has paid off. I was a Beverly Hills AYSO Soccer all-star for 4 years and I now play soccer at a much higher club level. My goal is to play high school and college soccer and play for the U.S. Women's Soccer Team in the Olympics. I love the challenge that soccer presents to me.

In many ways it is like my life. Soccer has to be a perfect balance between strategy, discipline and following through with a plan. I have to do this each and every minute of every day. While others sometimes get nervous before a game, I really look forward to "beating the odds" and helping my team win with a goal, a perfectly placed pass or a strong defensive play. I approach other sports such as tennis the same way - I have to do my best or I am not satisfied.

At school, I have a straight A average and just this month I won several academic awards from the Los Angeles County Fair, including the "best in class" award for a book of my poems. My favorite subjects are math, science and music. While I hope to continue playing soccer and tennis, my most important goal is to become a doctor who specializes in the treatment of diabetes. I also would like to be part of the medical team that finds the cure for this disease... why not?