Meet Paulina Vasiliev, Tour de Cure Youth Ambassador

Our Youth Ambassador, Paulina Vasiliev, found out about the Tour de Cure just a few days after being diagnosed with diabetes.  While she was in the hospital getting hooked up to an insulin pump, Paulina met diabetes educator and Animas marketing representative, Roni Pagano (who also lives with diabetes and happens to be captain of the Tour de Cure’s Team Red). Impressed by Paulina’s eagerness to help this newfound community of people living with diabetes, Roni told Paulina about the American Diabetes Association’s upcoming NYC Tour de Cure and put Paulina in touch with Jessica Rosa, who also lives with diabetes and is managing the event. Paulina will be helping to coach cycling teams on their fundraising and marketing efforts. Last month, she spoke at the Tour de Cure’s Kick-Off party, and is being highlighted every step of the way for her courage to battle this disease.

My name is Paulina. I’m 10 years old. I live in New Jersey, and this is my life story and how I got diagnosed with diabetes.

First, I come from a Russian family, and I have one older brother and one younger sister. My mom is studying to be a nurse, and my father is a singer.

From my father’s side, I love to sing. I have been singing since I was 2. I have a very supportive family and vocal coach. They are encouraging and loving. I love the stage and treat it like my second home. (The radio blasts in my car and people stare at us!) I also have been dancing since I was 4 and acting since I was 5, but I have mostly focused on singing.

In late October of 2010, I started having massive stomachaches after I ate. The doctors examined me and did tests, but detected nothing … and said it was because I ate too quickly or too slowly. This went on until February 2011. It was a Saturday morning, and suddenly I wasn’t able to walk and my skin was horribly dry. My mom brought me to the doctor right away. They took a blood test and my sugar was at 380. But I also had high ketones.

I went to the hospital, and they took a million dollars’ worth of blood work. That’s when the news came: I had Type 1 diabetes. Sadly, CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, N.J., didn’t have a pediatric intensive care unit. So I went in the ambulance truck on a journey to St. Peter’s Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick. They took great care of me! I was also blessed by Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

My friends in school found out the bad news about me the following Monday. I got 24 valentine cards, because it was Valentine’s Day when I was in the hospital! I missed three of my best friends’ birthdays, but I came home on one of them. He was so happy to see me and was so caring, and that Sunday I had another birthday party to go to, and had everyone by my side.

My doctor, Dr. Svetlana Ten, gave me an insulin pump as soon as I saw her at the office. This pump allows me to eat as much as I want, and whenever I want. I was introduced to Roni Pagano, territory manager of the pump company, Animas. She is great, and she made sure that my mom and I both knew how to operate this little thing with three buttons – “a life-saver,” as we call it at home.

There are a few changes in my life, and it is not easy to deal with diabetes every day. I have to count how many carbs I am eating, but it is just a little bit more math in my life! I’m still singing and acting and dancing. I love exercising, and I go to the gym every other day. That helps a lot! I am happy I can swim, play basketball, run and do all that other children do.

Paulina addresses the crowd at the Tour de Cure's Kick-Off party in Manhattan. Jessica Rosa is at left.

I was lucky to meet great people in my life – people who help me understand what is going on with me, and who have enabled me to find out I am not alone with this problem. It turned out that I was honored to give a speech at the Kick-Off event for the Tour de Cure on March 24 in New York City!

I will be biking as a Red Rider with the Tour de Cure, along with a lot of other people, to show how important it is to support people with diabetes and help to raise money … and to show how strong we are. And I will be singing there, too – to say “thank you” to so many people who took care of me at the hospital, and to all those who love me and support me and my family. Come, join us on June 5! It is great to know you are not alone!

Love you all,

Paulina.