Diabetes Doesn't Stop Circus Teen From Her Act
OAKLAND (CBS13) - The sky's the limit for Danielle Foreman.
Five afternoons a week, the high school freshman can be found hanging out at the Kinetic Arts Center in Oakland, spinning, twisting and twirling.
She loves circus and circus loves her back.
The 14-year-old has been performing for four years, and whether she's busy with aerial tricks or just clowning around, she does it all with a twist.
Foreman has type 1 diabetes.
"I was four and a half when I was diagnosed with diabetes," said Foreman.
She's proud of her diabetes, and what she's learned from it.
"I don't believe that diabetes should be something that slows you down. I think it should make you stronger," said Foreman.
Strong she is, an insulin pump worn on her hip lets her focus on her routine.
"I can't imagine doing any of this with having to worry about giving myself insulin. I'm focusing on staying up there, not on shots," said Foreman.
Mature beyond her years, her parents say that comes with diabetes.
"She's very aware that her life is in her own hands on a day by day basis, hour by hour basis," said Jeff Foreman, her father.
It's a lesson Foreman takes to heart, and shares with others.
"Why not be extraordinary when most diabetics struggle with the concept that they just want to be normal. I think Danielle blows that away," said her mother Barbara Stewart.
