Kirkwood Teen Wows Crowd As Mistress of Ceremonies

Kirkwood’s Stephanie Patton was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on her 5th birthday.

Car Wash Helps Diabetes Research

Kirkwood resident Raina Foley, a 10-year-old with diabetes, is hosting the event.

Kirkwood drivers have 23 days to get their cars dirty. Raina Foley, a 10-year-old Kirkwood resident who is battling diabetes, then hopes the cars are taken to her event to help her find a cure. From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on June 23, Foley will host the Annual Car Wash for Diabetes Research, in partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. In a past article, Kirkwood Patch wrote a story about Foley, who was diagnosed at the age of five with type 1 diabetes. Over the years, Foley has raised more than $20,000 for diabetes research through different events. The event will be held at Hammerstone’s Restaurant in Soulard.

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Kirkwood Child Sells Lemonade to Help Cure Her Diabetes

Raina Foley was diagnosed with T1D (type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes) five years ago at the age of five. She recently spent a sunny Saturday afternoon raising $25 in 30 minutes by selling pink lemonade in front of her Kirkwood home.

Q&A: Kirkwood Teen Works to End Diabetes

Stephanie Patton is being recognized for her efforts to fund research for juvenile diabetes. Patton was diagnosed with the condition on her fifth birthday.

Stephanie Patton, a 17 year old from Kirkwood, has been named a semifinalist in the 2012 search for a Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes. Patton, a junior at St. Joseph’s Academy in Frontenac, is one of 80 young leaders being recognized for helping make their community and the world a better place. Stephanie is the daughter of Cindy and Stephen Patton of Kirkwood. The student is a triple threat with her singing, dancing and acting and has raised more than $125,000 for JDRF-the global leader, primary advocate and leading charitable funder of T1D research, those suffering from Juvenile Diabetes. She was diagnosed with T1D type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes on her fifth birthday. Patton participates with the Arch City Theater Troupe (ACTT) …

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Your Health: Tips for Diabetics Eating Out

Weekly tips from specialists at Des Peres Hospital.

As we wrap up Nutrition Month, I caught up again with Carol Walsh, one of the dietietians here at Des Peres Hospital, to talk about how diabetics can best navigate a meal out. "The key to healthy eating for diabetics is moderation," Walsh said. "Follow the same portion size and food content rules that you would follow at home." Walsh advises with those living with diabetes to keep track of what they eat and make healthy food choices while limiting portion sizes. "Avoid the supersize, all-you-can-eat, jumbo, deluxe or value meals," she said. "Instead, opt for the regular or lunch-size menu choices. If there is still too much food on your plate, share with a dining partner or take the leftovers home to eat later." Walsh also noted that it’s …

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Kirkwood Mom Brings On the Cure

A Kirkwood family is helping organize a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation featuring the cast of Bring It On: The Musical.

(Editor's note: This story has been altered to correct spelling errors and to reflect the name of the organization: JDRF-Improving Lives. Curing Type 1 Diabetes. Story updated at 12:20 p.m.) A Kirkwood mother-daughter duo is helping to put on a fundraiser to find a cure for type 1 diabetes featuring members of the cast of the nationally-touring show Bring It On: The Musical. Cindy Patton and her daughter Stephanie, a junior at St. Joseph’s Academy, say they are ready to do whatever is needed to hit the $30,000 goal for the organization JDRF — Improving lives. Curing Type 1 Diabetes., at April’s Bring On the Cure fundraiser. “They say, ‘Can you do this?’ and I say, ‘Sure, if it’s going to help find a cure, I’m there with bells on,” Cindy …

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Diabetic Fourth-Grader Skates for the Cure

Kirkwood 9-year-old and diabetic Raina Foley and her family performed in Nutcracker On Ice at Webster Groves Ice Rink and raised $500 for diabetes research.

Singer, ice skater, dog lover, diabetic — all these words describe fourth-grader Raina Foley, but she’s raised more than $20,000 to find a cure for one of them. Doctors diagnosed Raina with insulin-dependant diabetes, also known as Type I or juvenile diabetes, when she was 4 years old. Her parents went to her pediatrician when she couldn’t stop drinking apple juice, a symptom her body wasn’t absorbing nutrients, and her doctor immediately sent Raina to St. Louis Children’s Hospital after checking her blood sugar. "It was like being hit by a train," said Raina’s dad, Brendan. His wife, Kathleen, agrees. "We didn’t know anything," she adds. Now, Raina, who lives in Kirkwood, is managing her life-changing illness and living the full life of a…

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Diabetes Tips for the Holidays

Abbie Luegger, certified diabetes educator for SSM St. Clare Health Center, provides some ways to enjoy holiday travel and food.

For those living with diabetes, the holidays may feel like one long forbidden buffet line. According to SSM St. Clare Health Center, which serves the Fenton, Sunset Hills and Crestwood areas, traditional foods filled with rich, carbohydrate-laden ingredients are common. Parties and family get-togethers can disrupt carefully timed eating schedules, and travel during the holidays can mean missed meals, increased stress and less-than-optimum food choices.  Abbie Luegger, R.N. and certified diabetes educator for SSM, shares some key strategies for diabetics during the holidays with this Q&A. Q: What are some key strategies for the holidays and eating? A: Plan ahead for holiday meals. Decide whether you need to pack a snack if the meal is going…

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