The Rock Port Beta Gals will host their annual Palm Sunday Dinner March 28, 2021, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Atchison County Memorial Building in Rock Port. Free will donations will be accepted. Proceeds from this year’s dinner will be given to the family of Abilene Katheryn Ann Moore.

Abilene was seven years old on January 16. She enjoys spending time visiting family, dancing, drawing, spa days, and anything that is unicorn and glitter.

She had shown some medical signs starting in December 2019 after becoming very ill. She started to have increased issues with drinking and eating large amounts. She had excessive weight loss and she had periods of time she would have cold flashes and times she would be very irritable. Abilene’s mother became concerned last summer and scheduled an appointment with her pediatric doctor. With one prick of her finger and check of her urine they were off to Children’s Mercy to find out she was indeed Type 1 diabetic. She was very upset that day as she was supposed to join her cousin and aunt for a getaway.

Instead she endured poke after poke to get her little body back to where it needed to be for her health. She had her moments of frustration and vocalized her emotions about all that was happening. Then as those three days went by and they continued to discuss things with her she became accepting of her new way of life. To this day she understands that she needs insulin and why she has to take it for her body.

Abilene proudly displays what she has to do daily and goes on each day with a beautiful smile. Abilene has always been the first to give unto others and share what she has with anyone to help them.

Type 1 diabetics are not the same as Type 2. Abilene thought she had done something wrong like ate too much candy or didn’t drink enough water. That is not the case for type 1 at all. There is no known cause. Causes could either be genetics, viral, or environmental. It is not as simple as managing her food intake to “cure” her. She will always be dependent on insulin because she no longer has a functioning pancreas that supplies the insulin her body needs. People with Type 2 have more control over diabetes. With proper diet and exercise they eventually may reverse the symptoms of diabetes and no longer have to take medication.

Abilene will always have to have needles and check her glucose levels. She will always be wondering if she will be okay today. She will be going through oral surgery in a few weeks because the diabetes is breaking down her teeth from months of sugar in her system.

She has a long road ahead and the cost of the treatments, insulin, pumps, monitors and other medical supplies and visits to the diabetic specialist are very costly. She has to have insulin to live and will be on this journey the rest of her life. She will have her times where she has an extreme low and will have to be hospitalized. She will have her times where she gets a common cold or the flu and it sends her to the ER because of her blood sugars. She will have her good days and her not so good days.

Abilene’s mother extended her thanks to the giving nature of our community, friends, and family to make it possible for Abilene to get her medical supplies and continue to get the treatments she needs.