Happy Glucose Guy
Peggy Pancreas
Isabella Insulin
By Pam J. Hecht
BOOK SHEDS LIGHT ON
DIABETES
WNC Parent contributor
A
sheville phlebotomist SuzinBean Sweeney has something to say to kids who have type 1 diabetes and the people who love them: “It’s going to be OK.” Sweeney should know: Like the main character in her recently published children’s book on the topic, she was diagnosed
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DRAWINGS SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT
with it when she was a kid. By sharing her own experience, she says she hopes to demystify diabetes, putting a positive spin on a disease that’s increasing among children. Sweeney’s 60-page book, “The Grandiose Adventures of Suzi B & Spot,” based on her own life, tells the story of 10-year-old Suzi B, newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and her pug, Spot, who uses special glasses to magically see what is happening
inside her body. Through kid-friendly language, personified body parts and colorful art, Sweeney shows what the journey is like for a child with diabetes, both physically and emotionally, from symptoms and diagnosis to acceptance and management. Kids may know some of the lingo related to type 1 diabetes, but Sweeney says she wants them to understand “what’s really going on inside and what it all means.”
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