Diabetes Cure Story
Jonas’ mother, Denise Jonas, who joined him on "FOX & Friends," said her son felt alone after learning of his diagnosis because there was no one to offer him guidance.
“He really didn’t have anybody to look to,” she said. “So we really want to help Nick be that inspiration.”
For its part, Bayer has donated money to the Jonas Brothers' foundation, ChangeForTheChildren.org, to help support the musician’s awareness campaign.
As one-third of the pop group that also includes his brothers Kevin and Joe, Jonas was busy touring — playing elementary and middle schools — when he received his diabetes diagnosis in 2005 at age 13.
“I started to see some weight loss, I was thirsty all the time and I kind of had a bad attitude,” said Jonas, who is now 15. “I lost 15 pounds in two weeks and my blood sugar was 790-something so they put me in the hospital for two or three days, and gave me a crash course on everything I needed to know.”
To put Jonas’ blood sugar level in perspective, a normal level is about 100, said Dr. David Simmons, director of diabetes care and medical and clinical affairs for Bayer. A blood sugar of 790 is “dangerous to the point that, before there was insulin, people died,” Simmons said.
Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas does not make enough insulin. About 15,000 people, mostly juveniles, are diagnosed with the condition each year. Symptoms of the disease include weight loss, thirst and confusion, said Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing editor of health for FOXNews.com.
