When my daughter, Kaitlyn, was much younger, she was deeply involved in Girl Scouting. One of her proudest accomplishments was earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. It is awarded to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors (typically grades 9–12) who lead a project that creates a lasting, sustainable impact on an issue they care deeply about.
For Kaitlyn, that issue was easy to identify.
After living with type 1 diabetes since the age of two, she never forgot the fear and uncertainty of emergency room visits and hospital stays. As part of her Gold Award project, she partnered with a local hospital to create Emergency Hugs, a program that provided every child arriving in the emergency room with a stuffed animal to comfort them during treatment and to take home afterward. It was a simple idea with a lasting impact and was embraced by both hospital staff and families.
Between that meaningful community project and her years as a successful Girl Scout Cookie entrepreneur, she had certainly earned her Gold Award.
The Gold Award ceremony itself was a very big deal. Elected officials, from members of the U.S. Senate to local dignitaries, were in attendance. Fourteen young women received the award that evening—one of the largest Gold Award classes ever recognized on Long Island. It was yet another milestone Kaitlyn achieved while living with type 1 diabetes.
And that connection between Girl Scouts and diabetes is why I’m writing today.
Documentary filmmaker Alysa Nahmias believed there was an important story behind the Girl Scout Cookie program, which raises an astounding $1.2 to $1.4 billion annually through the sale of roughly 200 million boxes of cookies. The result is the documentary Cookie Queens, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Following its successful debut, the film was executive produced by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, through Archewell Productions and is being released nationwide in early August. Pretty cool.
As I learned more about the film, one young Girl Scout especially caught my attention.
Five-year-old Ara, a Brownie from the Los Angeles area who lives with type 1 diabetes, is one of the four girls followed throughout the documentary. In one touching scene, a neighbor mentions that he has diabetes while purchasing cookies. Rather than simply completing the sale, Ara later returns with a sugar-free treat she had made especially for him.
That small act says everything about who she is.
Of course, those of us living with type 1 diabetes know that, with the right balance of insulin, people with diabetes can absolutely enjoy Girl Scout Cookies. But that’s not really the point.
The point is that at just five years old, Ara saw someone else, recognized a need, and wanted to help.
As parents, we’re always looking for stories that inspire our children. Cookie Queens may be one of those stories. It reminds young people that diabetes should never define their limits or their dreams—even if one of those dreams is becoming the top Girl Scout Cookie seller.
Congratulations, Ara. And congratulations to your parents, too. And while we are at, Kudos to Ms. Nahmias for including Ara in the film.
Today, you’re my DiabetesDad Hero of the Day.
I’m a Diabetes Dad.
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