Xoe Brown knows more about food than most kids her age. Diagnosed with severe food allergies at the age of 2, Xoe had to avoid practically everything from citrus to peanuts, bananas to diary, and learned early on the importance of reading food labels and keeping track of what she ate. Ironically, her allergies got better and narrowed down to just a few offending items, but her Mom Amber and her Dad Brandon soon learned how valuable her awareness of food labels was when she was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age 7.
The family already had experience with the disease because Xoe’s father, Brandon, was 19 when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Hoping their little girl would be spared from a lifetime of finger pricks, carbohydrate counting and insulin shots, Brandon and Amber went through the shock and self-blame that most parents put themselves through when a child receives the diagnosis. But instead of letting the disease take charge and all the joy out of their lives, the Browns took charge of it.
“Our family loves food,” said Amber. “We love to eat, we love to cook, and we spend a lot of time in the kitchen as a family. Xoe has been reading food labels since the age of 4 because of her allergies so now we’re just applying that skill to keep her diabetes in control.”
For fun, the family engages in food challenges where they compete to make meals out of unusual ingredients. A little chef in her own right, Xoe especially likes to make omelets and sauces. And when it comes to school lunches, she is on top of it, packing her own brown bag with a variety of low-carb or carefully carb-counted meals. She makes sandwiches with ham and cheese or jam, counts out a specific number of potato chips, or makes cheese and pepperoni cracker snacks to munch on in the lunchroom. Having her carbs measured out, Xoe can then tell the school nurse how much insulin she needs for her midday shot.
“She likes to cook, and she likes to be in charge of her meals; it’s a thing of pride for her,” said Amber. “You cannot take a day off from diabetes. But she owns it, and has become responsible about it.”
Maureen Revels, MSN, RN, CDE, a certified diabetes educator in the Northeast Florida Pediatric Diabetes Center at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, says that one of the most important things a child with diabetes can learn is how to read nutrition labels on the foods they eat, a skill that most 9 year olds have not yet mastered. As a diabetes educator, Revels teaches children and their parents how to identify the labels on boxes, and how to use the information to determine what they can eat.
“Not a lot of people turn over a box and look at a food label regardless of whether they have the disease, but Xoe is already keyed into how to do that,” said Revels. “That lifts a huge amount of weight off her parent’s shoulders because they know she is educated about it and conscientious about what she eats when she’s at a friend’s house or at school. If a child is able to understand the concept and how to apply the knowledge, that’s a plus.”
Xoe likes to share her experience and knowledge with other children living with diabetes, and even has been a guest on the morning show of a local television station alongside a pediatric clinical dietician to discuss meal preparation for kids with diabetes. Eventually, Amber says, Xoe would like to start a video blog to share with others what it’s like to live with diabetes, and how important it is to have a healthy relationship with food. Her infectious smile, outgoing personality and positive attitude make her a perfect spokesperson.
“Living with type 1 diabetes is hard, but there’s one good thing about having it,” said Xoe. “It makes you stronger. It makes you persevere because of all of the challenges.”
A partnership between Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Nemours Children’s Clinic, Jacksonville, the Northeast Florida Pediatric Diabetes Center provides personalized treatment and tailored management plans for children with diabetes. The center offers educational support for those who are just learning how to count carbs and manage blood sugar, and monthly instructional classes on the use of insulin pumps. Social workers lead counseling sessions to address ways to cope with the challenges of a diabetes diagnosis as well as a support group for adolescents who sometimes need extra encouragement to keep their diabetes well managed. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 904.202.8547.
