Marlton Elementary Students Walk For Classmates With Diabetes
MARLTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Students at Marlton Elementary School in Marlton, New Jersey raised awareness about diabetes to a new level on Wednesday.
The sun broke through just as the school emptied. For a half hour the entire student body and faculty walked outside the school near the parking lot. They walked in support of three students who've lived most of their young lives with diabetes.
"I have to check my blood sugar before I exercise," said one of the students.
"After you eat you have to get insulin," another explained. "There's an organ in your body that gives insulin that absorbs energy."
This tribute was organized by school nurse Mary Perocho, who has looked after at least a half-dozen diabetics in her time at Marlton Elementary.
"Most of the kids were diagnosed when they were one (year old)," Perocho said. "They came to school with an insulin pump,"
The students have been raising money for research into a cure for the disease -- but Perocho says it's more important for her to raise awareness.
"Cause the children see these children leaving class a lot and they don't really understand," she said. "We don't want them to think it's a contagious disease, but it's a lifelong disease that they have to deal with."