Tired of social media jokes over "diabeetus," a young Missouri woman explained the real-life consequences of the disease in a social media post that has been shared the world-over.
"Diabetes isn't your piece of cake, or that super sized McDonald's meal with extra fries, or anything you see coated with sugar," wrote Madeline Milzark .
"It doesn't care if you eat Big Macs and McChickens every day of your life or if you're a strict vegan who goes to the gym daily. Diabetes is me. Diabetes is a whole ton of people who fight for their life every single day and go to bed not sure if they're going to wake up the next morning. ... So before you tag your huge dessert #Diabetes, think about what #Diabetes really looks like."
Milzark, a recent high school graduate, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 9 years old, according to KTVI.
There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, in which the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin; Type 2, in which a person's body fails to correctly respond to insulin; and gestational diabetes, in which pregnant women with no history of diabetes suddenly develop high blood-sugar levels.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 million Americans have diabetes, including 208,000 people under the age of 20. It's unknown what causes Type 1 diabetes.
"We did not ask for it," Milzark told KTVI. "We did not give ourselves this disease. That's the biggest thing. It's not our fault. Maybe instead of making assumptions try to reach and help somebody with it. Chances are you know someone with diabetes."
In an interview with the Buzzfeed, Milzark said she was motivated to share her frustration after her blood sugar crashed and she collapsed while home alone. She was able to send a text message to her grandmother, who managed to bring her some sugar.
"If she didn't, there was no telling how long it would've taken her to find me and it would've probably been too late by then," Milzark told the website.
The original post, which went online July 19, has been shared over 9,000 times and has 10,000 reactions on Facebook.
Milzark has since started a Facebook page to educate people about diabetes and share her story.
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