Caitlin Whyte (Host): Welcome to In Their Words, a podcast brought to you by UPMC in Central PA and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation. In each episode, we bring you inspiring stories of courage, resilience, and healing from the people who have experienced them firsthand. Today, we have a special guest who reminds us that heroes come in all sizes.

Meet Caremy Darr, a spirited nine-year-old whose journey with diabetes has not only transformed her life, but also inspired those around her. Joined by her father, Caremy will share her story in her own words - from the challenges of her initial diagnosis to finding her voice and strength through exceptional care. You'll hear how a meaningful connection with a social worker at UPMC in Central PA not only helped Caremy navigate her new reality, but also ignited a passion for giving back. Get ready to be moved by Caremy's bravery touched by her family's support and inspired by the power of compassionate healthcare. This is Caremy's story in her own words.

Caremy Darr: My name is Caremy Darr and I am nine years old. I went to the doctor and I was going to the bathroom while I was drinking my water and I just didn't feel good. And the doctor talked to my mom and said, "Give her a month. And if she's still not feeling good, we'll check her out and see what's going on." About a month later, when we were supposed to go there, we ended up actually going to urgent care, because I was getting worse. I could barely stay awake. Every time I blinked, I would go to sleep. I was wheezing when I was breathing. So, we just went to urgent care and we checked my blood sugar with a needle, and we found out and we knew something was wrong. So, I got a room there.

It was really scary, first of all, when I had to get an IV. But it was also really scary when I saw them all worried, because doctors I know, they're never worried, but when they were worried, I knew something was going on. 

Dad: I was actually here at the house with our son and my wife took her into the emergency room at Carlisle UPMC Hospital. And she texted me and she's like, her blood sugar is reading high, which on their meters, that means it's over 600, because it tops out at 600. And she said, you know, "You need to come in. They're going to transfer her to UPMC Harrisburg because they have a pediatric unit." So, I had to rush into the hospital, not really sure what was going on at the time. And when I got there, she's like, "She has type 1 diabetes," which immediately I was like, I'm not sure what that even is because I've never heard of type 1 diabetes before.

Caremy Darr: I think I was asleep at the time when they were explaining it. It means you can't just go eating any food you want. You have to look at the carbs and say, "Okay, is this many carbs? Do I have to carb or not?" And when you're at parties or sleepovers, you can't just go out and start eating candy. You need to look and see what carbs there are.

My parents and I were trying to figure out what you need to do for it. We learned how to give me shots. They gave my parents stuff to practice on. And I was so scared of how many pokes I was going to get each day.

At school, I'm usually high each morning because of my breakfast, so I usually have to poke my finger then at school. Then, for my pump and Dexcom, my Dexcom reads my blood sugar, my pump gives me insulin. My Dexcom, that does 10 days each, then I have to change it. Then, my pump, it's every three days.

Host: In Caremy's tale, we see how a diabetes diagnosis affected not just her, but her whole family, especially her brother, who's unwavering support demonstrates the healing power of sibling bonds.

Dad: He is actually really helpful because, like she said, she has a Dexcom, which will beep when she starts going low or she's too high. He becomes very concerned when he hears her alarms and stuff, and he'll check on her like what's your sugars or he'll ask us to find out what her blood sugar is, because it will tell us on our phones. And he's been really good with it. He's been good.

Like she said, it was a crash course in the hospital. I mean, it was a lot of information thrown at us and stuff. And on November 15th, it'll be two years since she was diagnosed now. So, it's chaotic, but we've been able to learn how to control the chaos, I guess I would say, because we're getting good at carb-ing her food, knowing how the insulin in the food affects her and stuff. And every day is still different at times. Sometimes food will affect her differently each and every day. But for the most part, she's stable and under control. And it's been a lot, but she's doing very well with it.

Host: Inspired by her own journey, Caremy made the courageous decision to become a voice for other young patients, sharing her experiences to help kids just like her navigate their own health challenges.

Caremy Darr: I first got it when I was in first grade. And I was thinking, "Hey, not many people know what diabetes is, like we didn't when we found out I had it." And I wanted to make people aware of what it was. I would stand in front of the class with a little stuffed bear called Rufus. He has diabetes too. And I would show them everything I have to use each day, like my finger pokes. Back then, I had to use actual shots, I didn't have my pump. And I had to show them why I leave the class so much. None of them had diabetes, but it really helped them learn what it was. And then, when they learned what it was, every time they would hear me beep or one of my devices make a sound, they would always say, "Are you okay?" when they heard it. I decided I want to make even more people aware. And when I went to the pageant, my platform was type 1 diabetes and I ended up winning. And I didn't even care about me winning. I just knew that I spread a lot of awareness about T1D.

Dad: My wife had actually found the pageant. It's the Carlisle Ice Queen Pageant. And like she said, her platform was type 1 diabetes, and she got up and introduced herself. She was telling everybody in the crowd she's a type 1 diabetic. She had her Dexcom on her arm so they could see it with her dress on. And she gave a great speech and stuff. And like she said, she won. And since then, every month, she's been doing events for them, going out. She's been able to still keep spreading awareness while she does their events. And it's been a great experience for all of us. She's the toughest little girl we know. And we always say diabetes met its match when it decided to pick on her.

Caremy Darr: At the pageant, I was I was wearing a little device like this one. I was wearing this at the pageant. It has kind of a tape around it. And then, in the middle, it has a hole so you can put the transmitter in. That's what takes blood sugar so we can read it.

Dad: Do you remember what your dress was?

Caremy Darr: My dress was a blue dress with silver around the waist, and it was so pretty. And the main thing about it that I liked is that I could show my Dexcom with it. Well, soon here, I'm going to end my Carlisle Ice thing, so I want to keep going and tell even more people about diabetes. I just want to spread awareness any way I can.

Host: In their own words, Caremy and her dad share how the care they received at UPMC went above and beyond, making the whole family feel supported, understood, and empowered throughout Caremy's diabetes journey.

Caremy Darr: They were all very nice to me, because I think they knew that I was going through a lot. They were just all very nice to me.

Dad: Yeah. The staff at UPMC Harrisburg, the pediatric staff has been amazing, even the ER staff, because she's been there multiple times since diagnosis now, sometimes just to get IVs and flush out her system, but we've never met a bad staff member there. They've always been very helpful, very patient.

Like I said, it was a crash course when we first went in, but they were great giving us information, explaining things to us. They made sure we would do practice insulin shots and stuff before we left, so we were comfortable with it all. And the followup has been great. Her endocrinologist and staff there has been great for us in helping to keep after her and make sure they adjust her levels and everything. So, we have not met one person that hasn't been super helpful for us.

Caremy Darr: One person there, she saw I was wearing a Minnie dress, so she went to somewhere and she brought in a Minnie stuffed animal for me to cuddle with. Since we didn't know it was happening, I didn't really bring any toys. I only brought like one froggy, but I was cuddling with him, but she still brought me a Minnie. It was so nice.

There was a playroom there. And when I was there, I got to go down. It was really cool. There was Play Doh. There were walls you could draw on with markers. There were even video games. And when you walked in, there was a wall you could touch, and it turns different colors. And I was very scared then, and when I first saw it, it just made me feel a lot more safe.

I have to go back to the doctor all-year round, even without diabetes. But once a year now, I have to get my blood drawn. I haven't gone to the hospital this year yet, I haven't been there yet, which I'm hoping stays that way. When I don't feel good, my parents say, "Just drink and sit down. Don't play, just sit down and drink."

 For fun, I like to draw and color. I'm an outside person, so I love nature and I just love being outside. But other than that, no one really plays with me outside. My brother, when we go outside, we have this plan of what we're going to play. But when we go outside, he just runs off and we don't do it.

Dad: Unfortunately, I can't remember any names from the hospital. Her endocrinologist is Dr. Novak, and the diabetes educator there is Mark Sinclair, and they've been fantastic with her. Like I said, if we have any questions, all we have to do is call and they're right on it, answering any questions that we might have. She goes there, I believe it's every six months for followup with them, and they adjust their levels if need be. And the Dexcom and stuff helps, because they can look back and get all the data that they need to see exactly what's going on with her, and make those little fine-tuning in adjustments to get her perfectly in range where she needs to be and everything.

 But yeah, like I said, the staff at the hospital stuff, even down to dietary staff, would come up to the rooms and work with us and make sure everything was exactly as good as it could be for her in the hospital. And they all did their best to put a smile on her face every time she's been in there.

Caremy Darr: I would say thank you so much for everything you did for me. You made me feel so confident. You're just the best.

Dad: I would just thank them all for taking such good care of her and all the other children on the unit and providing the knowledge that we needed to feel comfortable bringing her home and continue this journey every day with her.

Host: As we conclude this episode of In Their Words, we want to thank Caremy, her father, and her family for sharing their inspiring journey with us. Their story is a powerful reminder of the strength found in family bonds, and the positive impact of compassionate healthcare. If you've been moved by Caremy's experience, we encourage you to learn more about pediatric diabetes care and support services available at UPMC in Central PA.

Tune into our next episode, where we'll hear from someone who played a significant role in Caremy's story. The special guest will offer a unique perspective on Caremy's journey and the broader impact of patient care at UPMC. Remember, every story matters and every voice deserves to be heard. Join us next time for another remarkable tale of resilience and hope on In their Words, brought to you by UPMC in Central PA and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation. Until then, take care and keep sharing your story.