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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Jackson County officials predict 50 percent voter turnout in Tuesday's primary ... Judge tosses out Josephine County's GMO crop ban ... Groups protest BLM plan for 2.5 million acres of Oregon forest ... Jackson County officials predict 50 percent voter turnout in Tuesday's primary ... Judge tosses out Josephine County's GMO crop ban ... Groups protest BLM plan for 2.5 million acres of Oregon forest ... Living with Diabetes Teen with Type 1 diabetes is starting a support group for other diabetic youths and their families It can be lonely being a kid with Type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes. You feel different than other kids, says 16-year-old Hailey Ordal of Phoenix. That's something teens definitely don't want, she adds. Comment By JOHN DARLING MailTribune.com By JOHN DARLING Posted Feb. 21, 2014 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 21, 2014 at 11:04 AM By JOHN DARLING Posted Feb. 21, 2014 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 21, 2014 at 11:04 AM If you go --> What: Support group for youth with Type 1 diabetes and their families When: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, March 2 Where: St. Mary's School, 816 Black Oak Drive, Medford Details: No preregist... » Read more X If you go What: Support group for youth with Type 1 diabetes and their families When: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, March 2 Where: St. Mary's School, 816 Black Oak Drive, Medford Details: No preregistration; just walk in. » Social News It can be lonely being a kid with Type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes. You feel different than other kids, says 16-year-old Hailey Ordal of Phoenix. That's something teens definitely don't want, she adds. The sprightly Hailey, who loves playing piano and taking her Corgi to dog shows, learned a year ago, after battling the classic symptoms of fatigue, weight loss, hunger and thirst, that she has so-called juvenile diabetes and must inject herself with insulin four times a day for the rest of her life. "When I heard, I knew it was bad. I was really upset," says Hailey. "I thought I'd be stuck in this hospital all my life. I thought I'd done this to myself." Over the months, Hailey learned the ropes — how to prick her finger and see whether her blood sugar was in the safe range, and how to inject insulin with a tiny needle in her leg or stomach. She knows there is no cure and this is now part of her lifestyle. Hailey has learned she can do anything normal kids can do, but she has to focus on eating a lot more fiber and vegetables — no high-carb stuff like pizza and ice cream — and she has to calculate what foods will lift glucose and what exercises will take it down. She tests and injects accordingly. Life is under control now, except for one missing piece: Kids her age who are in the same boat and with whom she can play, hang, talk and enjoy without having to hide the disease and its treatment. So, Hailey is starting a support group for youths with Type 1 diabetes and their families. They will meet from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, March 2, at St. Mary's School, 816 Black Oak Drive, Medford, where she is a sophomore. There is no preregistration; just walk in. Hailey's vision is that the kids will hang out together and talk — and the parents will talk among themselves. They will share ideas and strategies for living with Type 1 diabetes, including how to travel, and they'll talk about issues such as whether to use insulin pumps as compared to injections. Individual friendships and activities may spring from that, she says. "A big issue," says her mother, Kathy Ordal, "is that kids don't want to be different from other kids. If they all have it in a group, you're not different." Parents must undergo a lot of education about the disease and can share that in group, says Kathy. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, she notes, in which the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas get identified as invaders and are destroyed, so they can't dispose of sugar in blood and urine. Injecting insulin rebalances that process. "Parents have to think about what foods my child can have, because all foods are potentially toxic," Kathy adds. "It's a lot of stress. They have to check themselves every 20 minutes during exercise. There's a lot of surveillance. You have to talk to the school nurse and be pretty involved." About 1.7 out of 1,000 Americans get Type 1 diabetes, so Kathy estimates there could be a couple hundred such kids in Jackson County schools — and many of them may like some new friends. Hailey can be reached at [email protected] (email corrected from previous version) . John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Email him at [email protected]. By JOHN DARLING MailTribune.com By JOHN DARLING Posted Feb. 21, 2014 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 21, 2014 at 11:04 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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