Dancing with Diabetes
/Student and dancer Emma Barr manages her chronic illness with grace
By Tony Basso
According to the Mayo Clinic, type 1 diabetes affects over 1.25 million Americans. This condition requires constant attention and presents a plethora of challenges for those who live with it. Among those affected is 17-year old Emma Barr, who is a competitive dancer and senior at Texas High School. Emma is committed to living life to its fullest, not letting her diagnosis slow her down.
Emma uses a continuous glucose monitor on her arm to keep track of her glucose levels. photo by shane darby.
“I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2019, when I was 12 years old,” Emma said. “My mom noticed I was acting strange. She called her aunt, whose son is a type 1 diabetic. The next day, we went to the emergency room. There, they ran some tests and discovered that I had type 1 diabetes and sent us on to Dallas Children’s Hospital.”
Emma and her family were shocked to learn of her diagnosis and feared the challenges of the road ahead.
“I had no clue what diabetes really was,” Emma said. “I didn’t know that there were different types; I was just not very educated. It was a huge shock, finding out that I would have to be dealing with this the rest of my life. I learned that I would have to take insulin [and] that I would be checking my blood sugar every single day, multiple times a day. I would have to watch my carb intake because how much insulin you take depends on your carb ratio.”
While still in the hospital after her initial diagnosis, Emma made a promise to herself that she would carry with her for a lifetime.
“It was really hard to take in that this would be something to deal with for the rest of my life,” Emma said. “Sitting in that hospital bed, I told myself that this isn’t going to make me stop doing things I love. This isn’t going to keep me from eating my favorite pasta and cookies. I try to keep in mind that I’m still going to be able to do everything I always have been, and I can still aim for the stars.”
Despite this vow, Emma was scared. At 12, she was already a serious dancer, but her diagnosis shook her confidence.
“When I was first diagnosed, the following season, I did not do competitive dance. I was just a little nervous, having this new autoimmune disease,” she shared. “The next year, I got back into [dance] and school cheer, and I made it through. At first, I was kind of scared of what I would have to do to keep dancing. However, I eventually overcame that fear and just figured it out.”
Emma is now in her third season as a member of her school’s drill team, the THS Highsteppers. As a Highstepper, Emma spends hours practicing after school multiple times a week and performs at home and away. Often, after performing out-of-town, the team bus will return to campus in the wee hours of the morning. The physical exertion of training, performing, competing, and traveling means that Emma has to take even more care to manage her condition.
photo by erin treadway photography.
“When you exercise, you have to check your blood sugar before, during, after,” Emma explained. “The way I eat, how I eat, what I eat, when I exercise, how I exercise, how much I exercise—things like that all have to be monitored.”
“I have not let diabetes stop me. I’ve just kept living life how I always have, with a few modifications.”
After she graduates from high school this May, Emma will head to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she will attend the University of Arkansas and study to become a lawyer. She is aware of the new challenges she will face, managing her condition away from home, but she is confident in her ability.
“I already manage [my diabetes] all by myself for the most part,” she said. “There are times when my mother will wake me up because my blood sugar is low, and she definitely helps pick up prescriptions. I will not have that in college. But I give myself shots, count my carbs, and put on my sensors on my own.”
Emma with Lauren Friday, captain of the Texas High Highsteppers. Submitted photo.
Emma said that, over the last five years, she has learned an important lesson.
“I have not let diabetes stop me,” she said. “I’ve just kept living life how I always have, with a few modifications. I learned that you never know what is going to happen or when something can happen, but in the end, it will all be okay.”