By Mary Brienza, Special Writer
Despite cloudy skies, cool temperatures and a slight wind, more than 350 people attended the third annual South Brunswick Athletic Association’s coach’s baseball game June 11.
This year’s game was held to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and diabetes awareness for the community, according to organizers.
St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick provided free blood sugar screenings for attendees.
”(This event will help) educate parents and children so parents are better able to monitor their children’s nutrition,” Kendall Park resident Sidrah Sheikh, 22, said while she was having her blood sugar tested. “This will help children form good eating habits throughout their life.”
According to the JDRF website, diabetes is a sometimes fatal, autoimmune disease with complications that can include amputations, strokes, kidney failure and blindness.
There are two types of diabetes, according to the website. Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas stops producing insulin, and Type 2 diabetes is when the pancreas still produces insulin, but the insulin cannot be used effectively, according to the website.
JDRF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes and advocating diabetes research, according to the organization’s website.
Insulin is a hormone that enables the production of energy from food, according to the JDRF website.
At the event, there were representatives from JDRF and the health-care company Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk, which has an office building on Route 1, has more than 88 years of experience in diabetes care, according to the company’s website.
Monmouth Junction resident and softball coach Lynn Kaminski said her daughter, Aleya, 8, was diagnosed with diabetes in January 2009.
”It was like bringing home a newborn baby,” she said about learning the new care regimens.
She said some of the diabetes symptoms Aleya had were excessive thirst, irritability and excess trips to the restroom.
A stomach virus was the catalyst that brought everything to the surface, Ms. Kaminski said.
Ms. Kaminski said Aleya once spent three days in a drug-induced coma because her sugar was too high, and she had diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis poisons the body from the inside, Ms. Kaminski said.
According to the American Diabetes Association website, diabetic ketoacidosis is an extremely serious condition that happens when fat is burned for energy instead of glucose that produces ketones, which is acid that builds up in the blood. It can lead to coma or death since high ketone levels can poison the body, according to the website.
Ms. Kaminski said she tries to keep Aleya’s life as normal as possible. Aleya plays recreational and travel softball.
She said she makes sure Aleya, who attends Brooks Crossing Elementary School, lives a healthy life.
Aleya is the only child in the school with diabetes, Ms. Kaminski said. Aleya attended the event to see other children and athletes with diabetes, Ms. Kaminski said.
Years ago, diabetes used to be a death sentence, but now it is not, especially if the person with diabetes takes care of themselves, Ms. Kaminski said.
Treatment of the disease has come a long way, and diabetes is manageable as long as the person is on top of it, Ms. Kaminski said.
Monmouth Junction resident Cindy Moran said her son Ryan, 12, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13 months old.
She said high and low blood sugar is a constant worry for her.
Ryan wears an insulin pump 24 hours a day and uses it every time he eats, Ms. Moran said.
”Ryan needs the insulin to live,” she said.
Ms. Moran said Ryan checks his blood sugar six to eight times a day and is very active playing baseball, travel basketball and flag football.
She said Ryan played soccer at one point as well.
”Ryan’s diabetes does not stop him from doing anything,” Ms. Moran said. “He is an amazing little boy.”
She said the family’s dream is for Ryan to be pump- and diabetes-free.
Dayton resident Carolyn Canavan attended the event and watched her husband, John, play baseball. She said she attended to have a good time, and she liked the fact organizers used the event to promote diabetes awareness.
Kendall Park resident Lisa Diius, who has two sons who play baseball, said this was the first year the SBAA event had a cause to create awareness for, and there may be a different cause every year.
”It’s a fun night,” Ms. Diius said.
Ms. Diius also said everybody knows someone who has diabetes.

