Don’t Call My Son “The Diabetic”

Lately, I have noticed more and more people refer to my son’s diabetes rather than to him as a person. He has had teachers call him “my diabetic kid”. Nurses have referred to him as “the diabetic one”. At school he is “the one with diabetes”, “diabetes kid” and “the diabetic”.

“Diabetic” has become a describing word used to pick him out of the crowd. He is the only one in his school who has diabetes and that makes it easier to point him out. But there’s something about using his diabetes as an identifier that gets under my skin. It is not easy living with diabetes. It’s also something no one would notice if it wasn’t pointed out.

You wouldn’t point out a 6 year old by saying “the fat kid” or any number of other negative comments. It wears on their self esteem so early in life. And if you think they aren’t listening, or can’t hear you, think again. Children hear and understand much more than most adults give them credit for.

I know they don’t mean to be negative, I know they don’t want to upset him, but he will notice the labels he is being given. He will notice them and maybe, he will start to see himself that way.

So please, don’t call my son the diabetic. Yes, he has diabetes, but that isn’t who he is. It isn’t a part of his personality. It isn’t what defines him.

My son is funny. He is smart. He is kind, caring and goofy. He easily makes friends wherever he goes.

He can play soccer. He can swim. He can play the piano, dance and do martial arts. He can build anything out of lego.

My son is a big brother. He is a nephew. He is a cousin, grandson and great-grandson. He loves his family and we are extremely important to him.

He likes pizza. He likes cake. He likes chicken with cheese and tomato sauce. He likes to be adventurous and try new things.

My son reads. He climbs like a monkey. He is thoughtful, generous and confident. He makes me proud every day.

He loves, he laughs, he cries and he gets mad. He cares very much about his friends and what they think of him.

My son is so many things to so many people, so please, don’t call him “the diabetic”. Don’t define him by his disease. Don’t give him a reason to define himself by it.

If you must point him out, there are many ways to describe him. The clothes he is wearing, what he is doing, any of the characteristics mentioned above, but don’t use his diabetes to tell someone who he is. He is not “the diabetic”.

My son is a kid, who happens to have diabetes.