BFFFLWD.Now many kids know what BFF stands for. That stands for Best Friends Forever. But what does BFFFLWD stand for you ask? Well, if you are Anna Cuccuini or Katelynn Weatherford, it’s their way of telling each other that they are Best Friends Forever For Life With Diabetes.
Born May 24, 1999, Anna was a healthy baby girl with no problems. Then at the age of 5, Anna was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. Doctors discovered that her pancreas was not producing insulin.
Four years ago, when Anna started first-grade at Moody Elementary School, she met Katelynn Weatherford on the first day of school. They immediately became best friends.
In a strange twist to this friendship, last February, Katelynn was diagnosed with the same Type I diabetes. Now their friendship has reached new heights and the two girls are inseparable.
One in 600 children are diagnosed with Type I diabetes, so it’s truly amazing that two in one class at Moody Middle School have been diagnosed with it.
Anna is the daughter of Jason and Kristy Cuccuini, while Katelynn is the daughter of Michael and Brandy Weatherford, and they all live in Moody.
One of the first indications something was wrong, Anna’s mother said, was that her daughter was constantly thirsty and had to go to the bathroom a lot.
“We made an appointment with the doctor and they checked her blood and it was like 600,” said Cuccuini. “That was bad because normally your blood is 120.”
For two and a half years, little Anna had to take shots every day. Today, she wears an insulin pump that gives her insulin all day.
Cuccuini said Anna wears the insulin pump all the time. The pump is actually waterproof and she enjoys swimming with it on. The pump is small and can be hooked up on her lower back, leg or arm. Anna changes the location of her pump every three days.
“When I first found out Anna had diabetes, I was so scared,” said Cuccuini. “I didn’t know much about it. One thing I do know is what a brave young lady she is. Having to deal with this every day, but to look at her, she is as normal as any young girl her age.”
Katelynn remembers the day she met Anna.
“Our first-grade teacher shared with the class about Anna’s diabetes but told us she was a normal kid just like us,” Katelynn said. “Even that day I thought, ‘What if I were like that one day’ and today I am.”
Katelynn was just like Anna — drinking a lot of water and needing to go to the bathroom.
“When my mom noticed what was going on, she called Anna’s mom,” Katelynn said. “When I checked my blood, it was 594. I went out to play because exercising makes your blood count drop.”
When Katelynn came back in from playing, her blood count had risen to 598. She too, was then diagnosed with Type I diabetes.
Brandy Weatherford said she never thought her daughter would become a diabetic.
“Anna is the only child I’ve ever known with Type I diabetes,” Weatherford said. “Through the years, not only have our daughters been good friends, Kristy and I have developed a wonderful friendship also. I knew the whole background of Anna and how they discovered her diabetes. Anna had spent many nights with us and I was scared, but she was in constant contact with her mother.”
Both mothers have two other children and both say the diabetes is not contagious.
“There is the possibility that the other children could inherit this,” said Weatherford. “None of our other children are checked on a regular basis, we just look for signs and symptoms.”
Weatherford added that it has been a true blessing in disguise having Anna in their lives.
“When Katelynn was diagnosed, it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever been through as a parent,” she said. “She was sick in the hospital with a disease I did not understand. But to have Kristy and Anna, who have already been through this, right by your side was very comforting. Katelynn saw her best friend take shots for three years and now she has to take shots and she never cried — not once.”
Anna and Katelynn visit the doctor once every four months. Both of the happy-go-lucky girls are now in the fourth-grade at Moody Middle School and in the same class.
Their teacher, Mary Morton, said they are exceptional girls, hard workers and good students.
“They are both very independent and know how to check their blood sugar on their own,” Morton said. “That is good for me. They tell me what they need to do and they are very aware of what’s going on with their bodies physically.”
Morton said if there is a problem with the girls’ blood sugar, they let her know and there is a procedure in place for that.
“I can tell when something is wrong because they get sleepy and tired and don’t participate as much,” Morton said. “When they are doing a writing assignment in class, they always write about each other and their wonderful, unique friendship.”
Anna said having diabetes bothers her sometimes but not that much.
“It bothers me when I have to prick my finger and it doesn’t bleed and I have to keep on pricking it,” she said.
The two girls attended a diabetes camp this past summer through the Southeastern Diabetes Educational Services at Camp Seale Harris. Both mothers agree this is an excellent camp for kids and teens living with this disease.
The mothers are also very interested in starting a support group in the area concerning Type I diabetes.
“We know there are other children in MES and MMS who have Type I diabetes,” Cuccuini said. “We want them to know they do not have to go through this alone. When Anna was diagnosed, I had nobody. I really went to pieces. It’s comforting to know you have someone to talk to.”
To learn more about Type I diabetes, email Brandy Weatherford at brandyweatherford@hotmail.com or Kristy Cuccuini at kcuccui@aol.com.
