Reid Saint-Cyr

My hero is named "Reid Saint-Cyr". Yes, he is my little 9 year old brother. But he’s so much more than a bro, he is my role model. Just last winter Reid was diagnosed with diabetes just 5 days before Christmas. In my opinion it was a pretty lame gift. But he didn't really care much when he was rushed to the hospital, 3 nights in a row. Or when he couldn’t do any activity without being monitored to make sure he was okay. Or when he just randomly passed out because of low blood sugar. He was fine with all of it.

Reid has a pretty tough life I would say. After all he is nine years old. He's just a kid. Right now he should be having the time of his life in grade 3, eating candy whenever he pleases and not having a care in the world besides when his favorite TV show is on. Instead, Reid has to take around 10 needles a day, to make sure his blood sugar level is not too high or too low. He also has to watch what he’s eating because if he has too much or also too little carbohydrates, he could pass out into a diabetic coma. Additionally, Reid has to monitor his activity a lot, because, once again if he pushes himself too hard in gym class on in sports, his blood sugar can go low. Reid is a 9 year old kid. He shouldn't have to worry about any of that, but he has been doing all of that and more since December 20th, 2008.

Sure, Reid has had times where he would cry for hours because he was dead tired of taking needles, or pricking his finger to test his blood, But now Reid realizes it is just something he has do deal with, no matter how much it sucks. Reid is my hero for that reason. No matter what life throws at him, he can deal with it. Reid has diabetes and he plays hockey in the winter, and during the summer he excels at soccer. He's probably the best in his league. At age 9, my soccer coach already wants him playing for the Bonivital soccer club.

I’m pretty sure that if I was to take a day in Reid’s shoes, I wouldn't be able to handle it. That's what is so amazing about him. He has to put up with so much, but he can do it with a smile. It's not like he's some weird kid or anything, he just lives like any other 9 year old kid you know. His goal is to play in the NHL when he’s an adult, and I believe if he puts his mind to it, nothing can stop him. Not even diabetes.