‘I’m just like every other kid’

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — At 9, Salvatore “Sal” Strasz, of Grosse Pointe Woods, is a bundle of energy who loves dogs — his family has two — and sports, especially soccer. And he doesn’t let having Type 1 diabetes stand in the way of anything he wants to do.

With his positive outlook, outgoing personality and natural compassion, Sal was a perfect choice to serve as a youth ambassador for Michigan and northern Ohio for Breakthrough T1D — formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He has spent the past year educating others about Type 1 diabetes and raising money for research.

“I’m just like every other kid,” Sal said. “I play soccer. I don’t think there’s a way I’m different from any other kid — because every kid has something medical.”

Whether he’s addressing fellow students or adults — as he did in October at a Breakthrough T1D walk on Belle Isle — Sal is happy to raise awareness and increase understanding of this complex condition.

“Diabetes doesn’t change you — it improves you,” Sal said. “I help kids almost every day with diabetes. I go to camps. I do fun things.”

The Breakthrough T1D youth ambassador program — open to those ages 5 to 18 — is for a single calendar year, so Sal’s term officially ends Dec. 31. However, he can reapply for it.

Krystal Dunlap, senior development director for Breakthrough T1D, said Sal has done a “wonderful” job during his tenure.

“Sal is a little different from most youth ambassadors,” Dunlap said. “He’s very comfortable with public speaking.”

Mom Amber Strasz, a teacher in the Grosse Pointe Public School System, said Sal came to one of her classes for Safety Town week, on a day they were talking about children who are differently abled. He talked about his insulin pump and made his condition sound less scary, his mom said.

“I tell kids about the pump and what the good things are,” Sal said.

Type 1 diabetes was formerly called juvenile diabetes because it’s most commonly diagnosed in young people, but its onset can occur at any age. It’s a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, essentially rendering the pancreas useless. Because insulin is a vital hormone — it enables the body to transform food into energy — those with Type 1 diabetes need to give themselves insulin, either via injections or a pump, in order to stay alive.

The Strasz family had no reason to suspect diabetes when Sal began exhibiting symptoms circa 2020. Amber Strasz said there’s no family history of diabetes, although they later learned that having another autoimmune disorder — Sal has eosinophilic asthma — increases the chances of being diagnosed with diabetes. Because Sal had recently started taking a new medicine for his asthma, his parents thought that was the reason he began losing weight despite an increased appetite, feeling more thirsty than usual and needing to use the bathroom more often. His parents took Sal to his pediatrician but the doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with him, so Sal went home. Amber said they still knew something was awry, so they made an appointment for Sal to see his previous pediatrician.

However, although that appointment was only days away, Sal never made it. Instead, he wound up in the hospital in diabetic ketoacidosis and nearly died because his blood sugar level had spiked to 780 — normal is less than 100. He was unconscious for two days as doctors worked to save him.

“I remember when they told me what I had,” Sal said. “I said, ‘dia-what-eez’? It took them a long time to explain it to me.”

He was only 5 when he was diagnosed.

Sal recently marked his “di-versary” — the anniversary of when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes — on Dec. 6. His family has made it a celebration instead of a grim occasion. After all, Sal has come so far since that diagnosis four years ago.

“I went from being in a wheelchair (in 2020) to learning how to do front flips on the trampoline (a few months ago),” Sal said.

The fact that Sal has Type 1 diabetes means it’s much more likely for his younger brother, Luciano, 6, to also develop it. The chances of being diagnosed at any point with Type 1 diabetes is 1 in 400 among the general population, but for those who have a sibling who has it, the odds increase to one in 20. The Strasz family has enrolled Luciano in a trial program to see if he’s also genetically predisposed. If he’s prediabetic, there are steps they can take to delay the onset of diabetes for about two to five years.

Despite his young age, Luciano has found a way to help his big brother.

“He’s been amazing,” Amber said. “If his brother needs a juice box, he brings (one) … It’s sweet how much he looks out for him.”

Sal’s condition is a constant challenge. His mom said he needs to take medication roughly every three hours.

It’s only been since the GPPSS got school nurses in the district that Amber has been able to return to teaching part-time. The district has two nurses who rotate among all the schools. Amber said the nurses make sure teachers and other school personnel are trained to handle a variety of medical emergencies, including those related to diabetes.

“It was life-changing,” Amber said of the addition of the nurses.

She has also prepared information packets for all of Sal’s teachers, so they have a quick guide in their classroom that they can access.

“We have a very good community — our neighbors, our family,” Amber said. “We have a lot of support. We definitely can’t do it alone.”

Dunlap said this diagnosis is one that forces kids to mature quickly, because they need to be able to manage it on their own.

“We want kids to be involved in their own care and advocating for themselves, because Mom and Dad can’t always be there,” Dunlap said.

She said patients need to give themselves the right amount of insulin, so there’s a lot of math involved.

“You’re managing a disease that could kill you,” Dunlap said.

It’s also frustrating for patients.

“It’s one of those diseases where you can do everything right and your numbers are still all over the place,” Dunlap said.

That’s probably why Dunlap said parents of kids with Type 1 diabetes are frequently uncomfortable sending them to sleepovers — and even college.

Sal is trying to change those perceptions. While his diagnosis has been frightening and stressful for his parents, he has taken it in stride, determined to live life to the fullest and show others they can do this too.

He’s been a terrific advocate with state and federal officials and agencies as well, Dunlap said. That includes trying to reduce the price patients pay for insulin — which Dunlap said can be as costly as $500 for one vial — and make sure they have access to health care equipment, such as pumps, that can make life safer and easier for patients but that aren’t always covered by health insurance.

“It’s a bipartisan issue,” Dunlap said of Type 1 diabetes. “It affects a lot of people. It doesn’t matter who you voted for.”

Their awareness about Type 1 diabetes has enabled the Strasz family to aid others. Amber recalls being in the grocery store one day when she heard the distinctive sound of someone’s insulin alarm going off. She looked around and couldn’t find the source until she headed to the parking lot, where she found a dazed woman in her vehicle. Amber immediately grabbed juice boxes from her own vehicle and brought them to the woman, staying with her until her blood sugar level returned to normal. The woman told her she had gone out to her car when her alarm sounded, planning on having a juice box, but didn’t realize she was out of them and by then, she was having trouble seeking help for herself.

Amber said that whenever Sal finds out about someone else being diagnosed, he wants to reach out and meet them. That’s how he became friends with Winston, a Grosse Pointe City boy around his age. Sal invited Winston to a Detroit Tigers game and the two hit it off immediately, discovering their shared love for activities like fishing and their travel soccer teams.

“You’re not alone,” Amber said. “That’s his biggest thing. He doesn’t want kids to be scared, and he doesn’t want parents to be scared.”

Dunlap said Sal’s eagerness to talk to other kids about Type 1 diabetes is great because they’re hearing it from a peer, not an adult.

“I want everyone to know the beginning signs of diabetes — the beginning signs of going high (on the blood sugar scale) and going low,” Sal said.

What might surprise some is the fact that Dunlap said Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are very dissimilar, despite the name. She hopes more people will be willing to learn about Type 1 diabetes, so it becomes better understood by the public.

“It’s not actually caused by poor diet — the poor diet is a symptom (of diabetes),” said dad Tommy Strasz, a certified orientation and mobility specialist with Leader Dogs for the Blind.

According to Breakthrough T1D, about 9 million people worldwide have Type 1 diabetes; the condition impacts 1.45 million Americans.

Sal’s parents have become passionate advocates, too.

Amber said she wants parents of other children with diabetes “to know that there is a community out there that will support you. Other parents have gone before you. Lean on that. And take one day at a time because sometimes the days are very long. … Self-care is so important. Take breaks. Build yourself up. Rely on your friends and your family.”

Amber and Tommy said they’re willing to talk to other parents, too, and share what they’ve learned. For example, they want others to know about Children’s Special Health Care Services, a federal program administered through the state that covers costs of some of their older son’s medical needs.

“There’s a lot of questionable or bad or misinformation,” Tommy said. “Social media is not a peer-reviewed (medical) journal. But there’s an enormous amount of help and support within the community. It’s not always easily available, but it’s there.”

Whether or not Sal has a second term as a Breakthrough T1D youth ambassador in 2025, he’ll continue to educate and raise awareness about Type 1 diabetes.

“He’s just a wonderful young man,” Dunlap said. “I can’t wait to see him grow (up) and see what he becomes.”