LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (WTVQ) – An 18-year-old from Lawrenceburg knows exactly what it’s like to have type 1 diabetes.
After two years of illness, doctor visits, and tests, Anna Williams and her family finally got answers.
“Last year, on Presidents Day of 2020, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes,” said Anna Williams.
Since then, Anna and her family have gone through many ups and downs, but this illness has not stopped them.
“It’s just a disease. It doesn’t take control of your life, it’s just part of your life, ”said Anna Williams.
While learning to adapt, Anna continued school with a 4.0 GPA, played college soccer, and managed to earn two full scholarships to the University of Louisville.
And if you find that impressive, she worked on chronic illnesses, which also earned her another five thousand dollar scholarship from an organization called Beyond Type One.
“I applied for it and it was really deep how you were personally affected by your type one and what you want to do with it in the world,” said Anna Williams.
She says she wants to raise awareness.
Parents, Frederick and Stephanie Williams, say they are incredibly proud of Anna’s accomplishments despite the challenges.
“I’ve prayed a lot. I mean, I went to my closet when she was in the hospital, she was in the hospital every night and I just cried and prayed, ”said Stephanie Williams.
They say it’s a fight, but the only option is to move forward.
“She’s a self-motivated person and there is another disappointment, a shock, and you get along with all of these things, but once you get over these, she started moving forward and never stopped,” said Frederick Williams.
Anna is in good health now, but she knows it will be a lifelong struggle.
She wants to educate people about the difference between Type 1 and Type 2. She says that type 1 is genetic, is inevitable, flares up due to viruses, and people cannot live without insulin. She says type 2 comes from exercise and eating habits.
