Kaleb Dahlgren wants kids with diabetes know that even with the illness, it’s possible to live without limits.
“I myself am a Type 1 diabetic, it really means a lot to give back to a cause that hits so close to home and I hope to inspire these children, learn from me and learn from my life lessons,” Dahlgren said Thursday at the Diabetes Canada D-Camp held in Christopher Lake.
Dahlgren, a former Humboldt Broncos player, has been living with diabetes since the age of four. Although he was told he would never be able to play high-level hockey because of his disease, Dahlgren pushed forward and made sure that his illness would not stand in the way of his dreams.
He says he lives by the quote “I Manage my diabetes, I don’t let it manage me,” and his perseverance has not gone unnoticed. In May, he was awarded the Diabetes Canada Kurt Kroesen National Inspiration Award.
Lara Abramson, the general manager of the camps and youth programs for Diabetes Canada, said she was excited to have Dahlgren speak to the children.
“We say that there is only one child living with Type 1 Diabetes per every school in Canada, so it is a very isolating disease which makes it quite hard to understand what it is like to live with it day-to-day and the ups and downs and challenges living with a chronic illness.
“So it is nice for them to see someone that is so inspiring and who has made it to this level in semi-professional hockey while living with Type 1.”
Launched in 1956, D-Camps offer a genuine camp experience for kids seven to 15 who live with Type 1 Diabetes.
