Lost weight, beat addiction with help of family

Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Jenny Haliski, 30
Her Inspiration: Researcher Denise Faustman, MD, PhD, 47

The Challenge: “Keeping my type 1 diabetes under control can be a tightrope act. It's frustrating,” says online editor Jenny Haliski. “I've often felt I was on my own in my struggle.”

The Moment that Changed Everything: Almost 2 years ago, Haliski read an article detailing how doctors in Massachusetts had cured diabetes in mice. Haliski traveled from her home in Silver Spring, MD, to visit lead researcher Denise Faustman, MD, PhD, and donated blood for her project. “Before we met, I thought she'd be this lab researcher who didn't understand the human impact of the disease,” Haliski says. “But she gets it. She has all these photos in her office of kids who have visited the lab. She remembers why she's doing this research. It made me want to do more for her.”

So when Haliski heard about a 100-mile bike ride to raise money for Faustman's research, she signed up. Says the doctor, “The exercise is good for her — by taking care of herself and tightly controlling her blood sugar, she'll be better able to benefit from our developing research.” As Haliski trained, she realized not only how key fitness is but also that people with diabetes could be athletes. “On the ride, I'd see others stopping to check their blood sugar. It reminded me that I'm not alone,” she says.

Her Results
Haliski now facilitates inspiration of her own: She organized a bike-to-work day at her company and created two online communities where people with diabetes can connect with each other. “Dr. Faustman encouraged me to keep moving forward. Because of her, I believe there will be a cure.”

— Heather Lee

Dropping Weight to Donate an Organ

Kate Greenebaum, 33
Her Inspiration: Brother Josh Hugg, 35

The Challenge
Attempting to balance her life as a wife, new mom, and nurse left Kate Greenebaum harried, heavy, and stressed in 2000. Then her closest sibling, older brother Josh Hugg, became extremely ill: A liver disease he was born with suddenly worsened, and he needed a transplant. “I'm 22 months younger,” says Greenebaum, a Philadelphia resident, “but I've always felt older. A family member could donate half a liver to him, and I wanted to do it, but the doctors said I was 30 pounds too heavy.”

The Moment that Changed Everything
She decided to volunteer for the risky procedure anyway, knowing she'd have to drop the weight within 3 months. “My brother said, ‘Go home, think about it,’ but I didn't need to. I said, ‘I'm doing it,’ and the next day I started eating better — more fruits and veggies and a lot less sugar — and waking up at 5:30 AM for workouts. It was hard, but my husband would say, ‘Your brother's life depends on this. Get out of bed.’ And I did.” Daily phone calls from her brother also helped keep her focused. Says Hugg: “Kate has a rigorous work schedule and kids. Trying to balance all that and lose weight — I found it amazing she could juggle all those things at once.”

Her Results
But she did juggle it, and she met the 3-month deadline. The transplant was a success, and nowadays Greenebaum is staying on track, continually buoyed by her big brother: “He won a gold medal in volleyball at the US Transplant Games. What's more inspiring than that?”

— Amanda MacMillan

For more information, visit prevention.com.

MORE FROM HEALTH

Health Section Front

Turbaconucken? 13 fattiest Thanksgiving dishes   Is French kissing bad for you? Test your sex I.Q!   9 surprising places where germs lurk To win back her kids, she lost 340 pounds     ‘Loser’ castoff: ‘I’ve done great at home’     New debate on circumcision decision New treatment improving burned triplets’ scars Stroller company announces major safety recall   A look at places where germs lurk   How to keep your memory sharp Health Section Front   Add Health headlines to your news reader: