Soccer is a big part of Ashley Stidham's world. So is type 1 diabetes. At 14, she's lived with it for almost half her life.
"I was, like, eight [years old] trying to learn to give myself a shot. It was hard," said Ashley.
Basically with diabetes, sugar goes to places in the body that it's not supposed to go.
In some age groups, diabetes is now an epidemic. More than 20 million Americans now live with the condition. While it's not uncommon, it can still be scary if you or your child has just been diagnosed.
Ashley says there are a lot of misconceptions about her condition.
"A lot of my friends say, 'oh my gosh, you have diabetes, can you eat candy?' I'm like, 'yeah I can eat candy.' I love candy. It doesn't limit me in any way," Ashley said.
That's why when she is not on the soccer field, the Cordova High School student mentors other children who are recently diagnosed with diabetes.
"I just really want them to know it seems really hard at first, but it's not," said Ashley.
Ashley checks her blood sugar regularly and an insulin pump frees her up from daily insulin shots. She says she is just like any other kid, including her brother, Matthew, and her twin sister Sara, a fellow soccer player. Neither of the siblings have diabetes.
Ashley's doctor, Sutter pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Gnanagurudasan Prakasam says children and adults can live healthy, normal lives.
"I do not think living with diabetes is difficult if you have the right partnership and the right mindset," Prakasam said.
The doctor, who is involved with the American Diabetes Association, said the key is a partnership between doctors, schools, patients and parents.
Renee Stidham, Ashley's mother said diabetes is a part of her daughter's life, but it does not define her.
"Children are quite resilient and they are very, very capable," said Stidham. "We stand beside her. We don't stand in front of her."
Stidham says the family is active and loves to hike and camp. She said, as a mother, she always makes sure to carry extra insulin for her daughter. She prepares as much as possible for the unexpected.
Meanwhile, Ashley seems to let her mother do the worrying about diabetes. Ashley just lives with it.
"It's not really that hard. It's not that big a challenge. It's part of who I am," said Ashley, as she prepared to jump into the soccer game going on behind her.
On Saturday, Ashley and her family take part in a bike race fundraiser called Tour de Cure to benefit the American Diabetes Association.
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