Copyright sandiegouniontribune
On Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 Danica Collins, 14, visited the doctor’s office with her mother to learn whether her ankle injury had healed enough for her to play in the weekend basketball tournament. Little did she know her life was about to change dramatically, but not due to the injury. Born in 1990 and adopted as a baby, Collins was raised in Florida and Tennessee. “I always felt loved and part of the family,” said Collins, who has an older brother and younger sister. “My parents would tell me ‘we chose you’ and that was all I needed to know.” A well-adjusted and nurtured child, Collins was a straight “A” student and was elected student body president every year beginning in sixth grade. “I was a smart social butterfly,” she said. She loved sports, playing volleyball and track. But her game was basketball. At 5 feet 10 inches, she was a skilled player with ambition of someday becoming a professional. So, Collins was initially relieved to hear from the doctor that her ankle was cleared. But there was more. “The doctor told me I have diabetes. My blood glucose was 700 [mg/dl] and I needed to go to the hospital. I responded I don’t have time for this and wanted to play basketball. I was angry.” She spent four days in the hospital. She was connected to an IV with insulin, her fingers repeatedly pricked to test blood glucose. Her life would have to change, medical staff said. “I was told you can’t do this or that and you have to do these other things,” Collins said. “That doesn’t sit well with a teenager. I didn’t want to change and was in denial. “After coming home, my parents helped me face it and change. They learned about diabetes and partnered with me, even saying, ‘We got diagnosed.’ My dad woke me up at 3 a.m. every night to check my blood glucose and make sure I got food if I needed it. They coached me, encouraging me to grow up fast because my life depended on it and I can do hard things. “I learned to prick my fingers eight to 10 times a day to check blood glucose and give insulin shots four to six times a day. “There were things I could not do, but I also wanted to continue with my life. Some things, such as basketball and exams, spiked my blood glucose, and I would stop and give myself insulin shots.” While facing up to changes of dealing with type 1 diabetes, she was able to continue her path of achievements. She earned good grades and played varsity basketball through high school. She was elected class president the next four years through graduation in 2009. And she earned full scholarships for basketball and academics, choosing academics. In 2013, she graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry. In 2016, she earned a master’s in biotechnology. Today Collins, 35, lives in Pacific Beach, plays competitive beach volleyball and is a long-distance runner, having run in the New York City Marathon.For the past eight years, she has worked for Vizient, a national health care services consulting company. Collins visits hospitals around the country providing consulting services aimed at efficiency improvements and digital health. She is also a certified clinical health and wellness coach for diabetes care, providing one-on-one and group coaching through her company Dia-Log, the Insulin for Your Soul, and her personal brand, Danica the Diabetic. She is active on social media, has a podcast, has had more than 100 public speaking engagements and sponsors diabetes workshops while visiting hospitals. “My goal is to create communities for diabetics in person, online and coaching,” said Collins, noting she learned much through diabetes groups, including use of technology that has significantly improved and automated insulin injections. “Diabetes management is not just taking your medicine. It’s about proactive choices and holistic management. That’s why coaching is important. “I want to normalize diabetes and empower people to live with it.” About this series Goldsmith is a Union-Tribune contributing columnist. We welcome reader suggestions of people who have done something extraordinary or otherwise educational, inspiring or interesting and who have not received much previous media. Please send suggestions to Jan Goldsmith at jgsandiego@yahoo.com
