TH UR SDA Y , M A R C H 3 1, 2016
COUNTY WIDE YOUR HOME AND FAMILY NEWS FROM ALL OF KENDALL COUNTY
Life-saving
Jasmine Willis, a 2015 grad of Plano and current UIC softball player, is hoping to raise money for a diabetic alert dog. “I struggle with [diabetes]. Having a service dog with me will help and make me feel more comfortable with myself,” Willis said.
companion Plano native Jasmine Willis hoping to raise funds for diabetic alert dog
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By CHRISTINE BOLIN DASCHER cbolin@kendallcountynow.com
I
t’s a good thing Jasmine Willis loves dogs because she might be getting one in the future. Willis, however, doesn’t want just any ordinary dog. The native of Plano and current freshman on the University of Illinois-Chicago softball team is hoping to get a diabetic alert dog to help her with her type 1 diabetes, something she’s been dealing with since she was 7 years old. These special dogs require training and are expensive. They take months to train and cost thousands of dollars. A GoFundMe page (gofundme. com/7jj7hjdk) was set up by Willis in January, but she is still struggling to come up with the money she needs to reserve a dog. Once she gets the funds, she will have to wait 10 months so the dog can be specifically trained for Willis. Realistically, if she gets the money, she will have the dog by her senior year of college. Ideally, it will be a lot sooner than that. Willis said the day she is able to finally receive her diabetic alert dog will be one of the greatest days of her life. “I know it’s going to take a while, even with persistent effort,” Willis said. “I struggle with [diabetes]. Having a service dog with me will help and make me feel more comfortable with myself.” Willis was in first grade when
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To help Jasmine Willis, go to https:// www.gofundme.com/7jj7hjdk.
Photo provided by Steve Woltmann
Plano’s Jasmine Willis in action in her first season with the UIC softball team. she found out she had diabetes. She woke up, went to eat breakfast and felt sick. She then went to take a shower and ended up having a seizure. After numerous tests, it was determined she had type 1 diabetes. By definition, type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter
cells to produce energy. Various factors may contribute it, including genetics and exposure to certain viruses. Although type 1 usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it also can begin in adults. Despite active research, type 1 diabetes has no cure, but it can be managed with proper treatment – something Willis has done since she was a child.
Willis was a kid who liked to play sports. Fortunately, her diabetes didn’t slow her down too much. It has limited her at times, but when she felt something was off or the glucose monitor she was wearing was letting her know her numbers were low, she took care of it the best she could. “That’s the hard part with sports because I’m such a com-
petitor... but sometimes, I’d have to sit out,” Willis said. “It’s hard, because when you want to excel and you have to sit out, it takes a toll.” Diabetes certainly did not stop Willis from having a fantastic softball career at Plano. She was a four-year varsity catcher/ shortstop who was an All-Stater and All-Conference selection in the Interstate Eight for three years. She set the career and single-season home run record for the Reapers and led her team in hits (53) and RBIs (34) with a .515 batting average in 2014. As a senior, Willis led Plano in runs scored (31), hits (53), batting average (.461), on-base percentage (.541), slugging percentage (.704), home runs (five) and RBIs (23). Chris Waca was Willis’ coach for her junior and senior seasons with the Reapers. He was thankful there were no major incidents on or off the field involving her condition. “She knew when she had to slow down, but she was such a competitor, she always wanted to push herself and be at her best,” Waca said. “I know she didn’t want to be treated any differently. She didn’t want to have that crutch.”
See ALERT DOG, page 5