Rock on, Cassidy!

Her creativity and talent define her. She absolutely wails on that guitar of hers, playing to audiences of all ages who cannot help but be inspired by her. Cassidy McAdams writes her own lyrics, lays music down behind them, plays her guitar, and sings her own songs ... all with a musical maturity that belies her youth. The word prodigy comes to mind.

I know Cassidy because she has type 1 diabetes and I helped her train her diabetic alert dog, Pepper. I've learned from Cassidy and other kids like her that living with T1D is like living in hell. It wreaks havoc with their lives. These kids learn that stress, exercise, hormones, illness and a host of other things can flip their blood sugar levels off the charts. And they know if it gets bad enough they'll be back in the hospital again. And, yet, over and over I see these kids excel. Some are athletes. Others are computer geeks. Still others are honors students. And a few, like Cassidy, are among the truly gifted.

So while Cassidy is forced to live with diabetes every single day, it does not define her. Her talent defines her.