Nothing can slow down Stella Jordan and Nolan Morris, not even Type 1 diabetes. As high school track athletes, Stella and Nolan have navigated the various obstacles of their diabetes journeys with the support of their care teams and their parents and are more capable than ever. Both kids have excelled in track and field this past year and recently competed at State Finals, Stella as an eighth grade discus thrower and Nolan as a sophomore distance runner, setting the pace for other young athletes facing chronic conditions.
When they were first diagnosed, neither Stella nor Nolan knew how to react. Both of them experienced tell-tale symptoms; Nolan’s vision was blurry in the mornings, Stella’s breathing became irregular, and they both experienced constant thirst. These symptoms can be clear indicators of Type 1 diabetes, a condition which Brooke Foth, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, sees patients for every day. “Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks cells on the pancreas which produce insulin,” she said. “Insulin helps shuttle glucose into cells, which can be used for energy, so a lack of insulin causes high blood glucose in the bloodstream. This can cause acute and chronic long-term complications.” Brooke noted that Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children but can be diagnosed at any age.
Upon his diagnosis, Nolan remembers being in denial. “I pretended like I was the same, and it worked for the first few hours, but then I had to come to terms with it,” he said. “After I realized there’s no fixing it, then I was okay.” Stella was also taken aback. “At first, I didn’t really know how to feel,” she said. “There were a lot of emotions that came with it. It felt like a rollercoaster, because one moment I’d think, ‘This is crazy, and I don’t know what I’m doing,’ and the next moment I’d feel like everything was going to be fine.”
A new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes often brings an overwhelming amount of learning. Patients must test and monitor their blood glucose, recognize symptoms associated with high and low glucose levels, take medication, and learn how their diabetes can affect their everyday life. Both Nolan and Stella quickly recognized that diabetes requires constant maintenance. “You can’t just check the box and diabetes is done,” Nolan said. “It’s a continuous, little annoying thing that is always going to be there.” Thankfully, with their parents and Logan Health’s diabetes team members supporting them, they grew in confidence as time went on. “It’s just a continuous learning experience for me. Now I feel like it was ridiculous for me to feel that scared, because it’s not that scary,” Stella said. “It was just little changes, like adjusting my eating habits and paying more attention to my blood sugar.”
At Logan Health, pediatric endocrinologists and diabetes educators are always ready to help patients like Nolan and Stella navigate diabetes. Nolan travels from Troy to Kalispell to meet with Katie Flass, PA-C, at Logan Health Children’s Specialists, and Stella visits Logan Health Specialty Care in Missoula to meet with Claire Steinberg, CPNP-PC, and Brooke Foth, CDCES. Katie, Claire, Brooke, and the rest of their specialty team members are committed to helping patients and their families navigate life with diabetes. Often, changes in blood sugar levels require a timely response, and Nolan’s mother, Kristine, appreciates how diligent the staff is when there is a concern. “I can’t say how many times I would email Katie from my work email and get an immediate response,” she said. “It’s so assuring to know we have a team of people behind Nolan.”
Stella Jordan advanced to State Track Finals as the youngest female competitor in discus.
The diabetes team members also help patients explore their options for monitoring and regulating their blood glucose levels. Great strides have been taken in diabetes technology, and patients can now enjoy the benefits of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps, which replace finger sticks and insulin injections. These allow for less interruption in a patient’s daily life and can prevent dangerous extremes by notifying the wearer of their blood glucose levels. Nolan has experienced this firsthand. “I don’t really wake up when I have a low. I just hear the alert. Without the Dexcom, I would’ve had so many urgent lows.” Tools like CGMs and insulin pumps are very helpful for patients, especially those with very active lifestyles like Nolan and Stella.
When it comes to athletics, Stella and Nolan don’t let diabetes get in the way. In fact, neither of them think of it much, except for when they can feel a high or low beginning. Often, the solution is as simple as grabbing a snack or packing one beforehand for a long day. “If I have a field trip or an away game, sometimes they don’t want to go out and eat afterward and just want to get home quickly. So, I have to plan ahead,” Nolan said. Stella has discovered the nuances of paying attention to her condition, but not getting hung up on it. “I wouldn’t say it really affects me as an athlete,” she said. “There’s the occasional running off to go get an applesauce because my blood sugar is low, but I really try not to let my diabetes get in the way. When I got diabetes, I was told, ‘You need to take care of your diabetes, but you also need to remember that you are a kid and need to be a kid.’”
Nolan Morris advanced to State Track Finals this spring with personal records in two events.
Their positive attitudes have taken them far. Both qualified and competed at State track finals in the spring, Nolan running the 800 meter and 1600 meter events, and Stella competing in discus. Stella placed eighth in discus, and as the youngest female competitor, she was thrilled. “I was the only eighth grade girl that went to high school discus, so I am really excited to get eighth. I aim to go higher in high school.” Nolan enjoyed the day as well: racing, seeing his friends out on the track, and receiving his well-deserved state track sweatshirt.
In light of this huge accomplishment, Nolan’s mom recalls the moment he was in the ICU, when, after receiving his diagnosis, he was already googling, ‘successful athletes with Type 1 diabetes.’ After reading others’ stories, he knew he’d be fine. “When I accepted it, started learning more about it and googling stuff, I was definitely more confident, and I could predict stuff,” he said. As he continues to share his story, Nolan is proud to join those voices and encourage other youth to keep pursuing athletics.
Stella also draws strength from others’ stories. She enjoys taking part in the annual camp put on by Montana Youth Diabetes Alliance, where she gets to meet kids with all kinds of stories. “It’s great to be around other people who you can relate to,” she said. “When you go there, you see all these other kids who know what you’re going through – all of the challenges. And then you get to exchange stories, understand what they’re going through and hear about some of the experiences they’ve had.”
Both Nolan and Stella have only grown in confidence as they continue to learn about their Type 1 diabetes, and they hope their stories will inspire others to keep pursuing what they love. Stella offers those with diabetes an encouragement and a challenge for the road ahead. “Diabetes may feel hard now, but everything only gets easier,” she said. “Don’t let it define you. You should define your diabetes. It’s something you need to grow confident in, and then you, too, can live your life without letting it get in the way.”