In My Community

Estrella and her mother Estrella Eating Estella getting her blood glucose level checked Estrella checks her finger after the blood glucose test Estrella receiving an insulin injection Estrella goes back to coloring after her insulin injection Jessica and Estrella Jessica and Estrella Estrella getting her blood glucose checked Estrella receiving an insulin injection Jessica and Estrella Jessica and Estrella Jessica and Estrella Jessica Estrella Estrella

Comments from Jessica Pena

My connection to diabetes is through my 2-year-old daughter, Estrella. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on October 10, 2011.

The difference between me and a person raising a child without diabetes is from the minute we wake up, I check her blood glucose. There is a lot of carbohydrate counting and injecting insulin every two hours.

Before she goes to bed, I need to make sure her blood glucose levels are above 150 and that she has a snack with 15g of carbohydrates to last her through the night. I also have to check her blood glucose in the middle of the night just to make sure it doesn’t drop low.

She basically lives a normal life; I just have to monitor her blood glucose levels throughout our daily lives which has become our priority!

I want to Stop Diabetes® because I don’t want people living with this disease to have to depend on taking insulin just to stay alive!

We were photographed at Estrella’s Beauty Salon. I’m a single parent and when she was diagnosed I had to quit my job as a hair stylist just so I could learn how to take care of my child. I struggled financially but my daughter’s health is my priority. So I figured the only way I can take care of my child and work at the same time is to become my own boss and open up a salon.

She is my inspiration which motivates me and that’s why I named the salon after her! Together we can fight diabetes and move forward with a healthy normal life, and continue praying for a cure!