Search of a lifetime
Like most high school seniors, Adam Kerbis, 17, of Buffalo Grove finds himself in the midst of filling out college applications.
But unlike many of his peers, Kerbis has a natural topic for his personal statement. Not about being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, mind you, but instead, he writes from the heart about overcoming obstacles.
Kerbis spent the long Columbus Day weekend catching up with homework and relaxing with friends. But he also played in two flag football teams, one of the many intramural sports he competes in at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire.
It's all in a day's work for this high-achieving teen, who doesn't let his diabetes or its symptoms slow him down.
On Sunday, friends and family members will be rallying around Kerbis, as members of the "A Team," which is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, and last year raised $9,400 to help find a cure for the disease.
They will be among an anticipated 10,000 supporters expected to turn out to at Busse Woods in Schaumburg for the Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes event, to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation -- the only major type 1 diabetes organization focused exclusively on research.
The 5K walk opens with registration at 8:30 a.m. before its 9:30 a.m. step off, at Grove 28 in Busse Woods, located along Golf Road just east of Route 53 near Schaumburg. Last year's five Chicago area walks combined to raise $5.6 million for research.
In fact, so much money has been raised since parents formed the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in 1970 -- more than $1 billion -- that medical researchers are making strides in finding a cure.
On the foundation's Web site, officials say that "we can now confidently state that, for the first time ever, a cure for type 1 diabetes is not only possible, but likely."
Kerbis has been trying to raise money for more research since he was in third grade.
The Buffalo Grove teen was diagnosed in kindergarten at the age of 6, and he became an advocate at the age of 9. That's when he was chosen as one of two children in the state -- based on their individual letters -- to attend the Children's Congress, and lobby on Capitol Hill for more diabetes research.
"The experience had a profound effect on me," Kerbis said. "Before that I felt like I was alone. But in Washington, I was surprised to see so many other kids with diabetes and see that they were normal and doing the same things I was."
Prior to that, his mother, Karen, describes her son as something of a 'closet diabetic' because he never talked about it with his friends.
"But that can be very dangerous if your friends don't know you have the disease and can't recognize its symptoms," Karen Kerbis said.
These days, her son talks about his diabetes a lot. Not so much with his friends, though they all know he has it, but to groups of adults, including supporters and corporate teams.
He tells them about a typical day, when he has to test his blood sugar with as many as seven finger pricks a day and inject himself between five to six times a day with insulin.
"I think I manage it pretty well, and still I have to endure its symptoms, of going low or being too high (in blood sugar levels)," Kerbis said. "I've learned to stick it out, though. I don't usually have to miss any school, but it kind of impairs me for a while."
In other words, he's learned to become resilient and overcome the obstacles presented by the disease. And it looks like there's no stopping him.
Besides his intramural sports, Kerbis is an honor student who is a member of the National Honor Society and student council, among others. His top choice among the eight applications he recently mailed? Northwestern University, where he hopes to study business.
If you go
What: 29th annual Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes
When: 9:30 a.m. step-off; registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Busse Woods, along Gulf Road just east of Route 53
Cost: Donations; no minimum to participate
Web: www.jdrfillinois.org