GAIL'S STORY

Gail Henberger, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Aliso Viejo, California, recently participated in the L.A. Marathon, and is training for her next 26.2-mile run with plans to perhaps reduce her time by 30 minutes. Though thousands run in marathons each year, including hundreds of kids, Gail is different. She suffers from type-1 diabetes, requiring meticulous monitoring of her blood sugar levels by herself, her mom and her team at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC).

Diagnosed with diabetes three years ago, Gail was determined to "beat the disease" or at least not let it slow her down. She had always been an active teen and was not going to let fear get in the way of her success in sports and in life. As proof of her determination and discipline, Gail tackled, with the help of the endocrine nurses and physicians at CHOC, the challenging feat of controlling her blood sugar through out her first marathon as if running more than 26 miles under 7 hours wasn't challenge enough. She tested 10 times during the race, while walking to avoid getting trampled, and drank six ounces of Gatorade every other mile. Her blood glucose ranged from 75 to 161. She even reduced her pump basal from .8 to .4 for one hour when she was dropping.

"We are so proud of 'our Gail' and how she accomplishes anything she sets her mind to," says Debbie Warner, CHOC endocrine nurse specialist. "She is truly an inspiration and spreads hope to other diabetics who feel they may be limited."

This straight-A student, who is also on a soccer team which practices twice a week and plays on the weekend, will soon enter the gates of high school this fall. Some of her new goals include participating in the school's track and field and soccer teams. She is also takes very seriously, her role as diabetes advocate. For example, she and her family raised close to $5,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation while joining in on the "Walk to Cure Diabetes." She plans to walk again next year with the goal of raising even more funds for diabetes research and increase greater awareness. Gail someday wants to become a doctor, and no doubt she will.