“Diabetes did not stop me.”
Dillon Marsh was at the height of his high school baseball career when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The news was shocking for Dillon and his family--especially since he was in the process of being recruited by the University of Kentucky. He was dropping weight, his pitching speed was slipping, and he was worried that his dream of playing college baseball was at risk.
For Dillon, diabetes was both a learning experience and a lifestyle change. But with the support of his family, friends and team, he didn’t let anything hold him back from living out his dream--especially since he was able to rely on the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center for the education, specific care, resources and support while he’s away from home.
“For him to be able to have a place where he can go--and his family knows and his coaching staff knows and his players know that he's okay and he's going to be taken care of--I think that brings everyone peace,” said Coach Mingione.
“They're going to teach you everything that they know about diabetes, but at the same time they're going to tell you it's going to be okay,” said Dillon. “They help you understand that this is not going to consume your life. This is not going to stop you from doing what you want to do.”
Today, Dillon is a pitcher at the University of Kentucky--living proof that diabetes doesn’t have to slow you down. He’s also an active advocate for diabetes awareness, helping break down the misconceptions around the disease. He hopes that as he progresses in his baseball career, he can be even more of an example for others, especially kids dealing with their own diabetes diagnoses.
