Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis

It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.

Two-year-old Rosie Perez is the middle child between big brother Simon and baby sister Daisy, and Rosie is a wildflower.

At 10 months old, Rosie started vomiting uncontrollably. An ambulance rushed Rosie and her mom Katie to Golisano Children’s Hospital.

“Within minutes of us being in the room, she was doing what they call blowing ketones, where her breath had like a smell to it,” Katie said.

Unlike Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 is an auto-immune disease in which the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Rosie was in diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA, a dangerous buildup of acids in her bloodstream.

Rosie spent an entire week in the pediatric intensive care unit, and her parents were trained to monitor her sugar.

No one on either side of the family has Type 1 diabetes.

Because Rosie’s pancreas doesn’t produce insulin, she gets several injections a day.

“When I make her meals, I have to know exactly how many carbs are on the plate and how much insulin to give her,” Katie said.

Rosie’s mom stays home and probably will until Rosie goes to kindergarten, as daycares aren’t equipped to handle her care.

Katie’s thankful for days like this with all her children and Rosie’s budding personality.

Rosie’s parents are working on getting her a service dog through Diabetic Alert Dogs of America. They’re hoping for a labradoodle they plan to name Sugar. They’ve raised $3,356 so far. The dogs and all the training start at $21,000.

There is a GoFundMe available for her.