Your child's health - diabetes - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Children and diabetes. It is a disease that comes on suddenly and with some obvious signs. About eighty people a day are diagnosed with type one diabetes in the U-S, including seven year old Chase Fryer.

Chase was diagnosed just before he turned two, when his mom, Tara Fryer, noticed he was constantly thirsty, and drinking large amounts of water.

"He was drinking about 100 ounces a day. And he would just drink water, and take whatever, and I thought that's not normal for a 23-month old just to want water all the time."

Chase's doctor, Andrew Riggs, says that is the first sign of type one diabetes.

"The main signs of type 1 diabetes are increased thirst. And increased urination. The child might be extremely hungry. And lose weight, despite eating quite a bit they may lose weight."

Dr. Andrew Riggs says about one in 500 children are diagnosed with type one diabetes. As for treatment, Chase now wears an insulin pump that keeps his blood sugar under control. The pump is connected to a site on his upper arm and delivers insulin to minimize the effects when his sugar gets low.

"When I'm low I feel sweaty and tired. And if I'm low I have to eat skittles, or drink," said Chase.

His diabetes doesn't stop him from playing sports, but his mom says when he was first diagnosed it was a shock.

"I'm a nurse myself, so people think 'oh you know about diabetes,' when actually I had no idea what people dealt with when they go home with diabetes, it's a life changer, so it took a while to adjust, but now and that six months to a year period of adjustment and now it's our new normal."

Those with type one diabetes will tell you how it's difficult, life-threatening and never goes away, but those who face it don't let it stand in the way of achieving their goals.