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<\/p>\nAt age 3, June dreaded his daily insulin injections for Type 1 diabetes. That is until his dad, Antoine, reframed them as Super Soldier Serum.<\/p>\n
Fresh off watching \u201cCaptain America,\u201d he told June the insulin would make him stronger, just like the serum had powered up the comic book character. The young boy wasn\u2019t so sure, but when Antoine asked if he felt faster post-poke, he took off, zipping up and down the hallway.<\/p>\n
June had found his superpower.<\/p>\n
June\u2019s daycare teacher was the first to notice excessive urination during the day. His mom, Brittany, a certified nursing assistant, trusted her instincts and immediately scheduled a doctor\u2019s appointment to investigate further.<\/p>\n
Initial testing at June\u2019s primary care provider\u2019s office showed high ketones and sugar, which occur when insulin levels in the body are too low. The family was sent to donor\u2011supported MultiCare Mary Bridge Children\u2019s Hospital for additional tests.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we took him to Mary Bridge, they told us that he has diabetes \u2014 the blow hit us kind of hard,\u201d Antoine remembers. \u201cBut the way that Mary Bridge (providers) kind of explained it and the knowledge they gave us and everything else, it really softened what we had to go through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the next week and a half, Antoine and Brittany received a crash course in how to manage Type 1 diabetes. Even after June was discharged, their Mary Bridge Children\u2019s team was available 24 hours a day via phone to help troubleshoot issues until the new routine became second nature.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole experience was crazy, but Mary Bridge was really helpful,\u201d Antoine says. \u201cI appreciate it a lot. We wouldn\u2019t trade it for nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
June was gifted two books from Mary Bridge Children\u2019s to help him understand his new normal. The first featured a lion, but it didn\u2019t quite connect. The second included a Black girl, and June\u2019s interest was piqued. Seeing a character who looked like him helped the material begin to resonate.<\/p>\n
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Witnessing that spark and knowing how much his son loved a good story, the wheels began to turn for Antoine. As the owner of a graphics company, he realized he could help his son, and kids like him, by designing and self-publishing a comic series starring none other than June.<\/p>\n
In the first issue of \u201cThe Glucose Guardian,\u201d June pushes his insulin pump to unlock his hidden potential and thwart Dr. Hypo\u2019s evil plans to drain energy from his classmates.<\/p>\n
His \u201cSupermom\u201d Brittany\u2019s intuition and passion for caring for others also thread through the narrative, joined by his Mary Bridge Children\u2019s doctor, Timothy Livett, MD.<\/p>\n
\u201cJune\u2019s outgoing, but at first he\u2019s very shy,\u201d Antoine explains. \u201cHe\u2019s very reserved, hiding behind me or his mom. But Dr. Livett, he loved him, and he started running around in the office.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Livett let June be free,\u201d Antoine continues. \u201cThat\u2019s why we put him in the book, because June was just comfortable with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Livett takes pride in assisting June with navigating his personalized treatment plan, something every diabetes patient needs, as no two experiences are the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cJune is a good-natured kid who has an awesome attitude when we see him in clinic,\u201d Dr. Livett shares. \u201cManaging diabetes takes a tremendous amount of effort from the families every single day. His parents are great at keeping him involved in his care at an age-appropriate level, and I always see really good teamwork from the three of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, June is 5, and dreams of honing his basketball, track and soccer skills to compete in American Ninja Warrior Junior. He knows he can do anything, even with Type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n
Looking back on their family\u2019s journey, Antoine is thankful for another kind of superhero: Mary Bridge Children\u2019s Foundation donors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love to thank the donors, because they\u2019re the reason why these kids now have a normal way of living,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n
Dr. Livett echoes Antoine\u2019s gratitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cDonor support in pediatric care helps us provide more holistic care for our families,\u201d he says. \u201cIt lets kids who are dealing with medical conditions such as diabetes still be kids and participate in so many things that would otherwise not be possible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At age 3, June dreaded his daily insulin injections for Type 1 diabetes. That is until his dad, Antoine, reframed them as Super Soldier Serum. Fresh off watching \u201cCaptain America,\u201d he told June the insulin would make him stronger, just like the serum had powered up the comic book character. The young boy wasn\u2019t so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":627,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kids-health","category-foundations"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n