By Erin Kayata
Like many 17-year-olds, Will Coleman was a bundle of energy, playing competitive soccer while juggling classes as a high school junior. So when he started feeling so tired that he wasn’t even able to help his dad move furniture without needing a break, he and his family knew something was wrong.
Coleman’s father suspected Type 1 diabetes, based on his son’s symptoms and a family history of the disease. A doctor confirmed the suspicion. Coleman’s blood sugar was so low that he was at risk for serious organ damage. He was immediately admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, about 40 miles west of Boston.
“I remember he was like ‘I feel like I’m half a second late to everything,’” said Leanne Chukoskie, Coleman’s mother and an associate professor at Northeastern University with a joint appointment in the departments of art and design and physical therapy, human movement and rehabilitation sciences. “It was this extra dampening on everything, and we didn’t know how bad it was.”
The family found that there were not many resources for teens juggling life with a glucose monitor. When Coleman was released from the ICU, he was given a Pink Panther coloring book to explain Type 1 diabetes. The family applied for a teen kit from a juvenile diabetes organization for more aid and received the same coloring book.
