Morgan Panzirer goes to bed every night wondering if she’ll wake up in the morning due to a fatal high or low blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes has taught her to live every day to the fullest, and she is sharing her lessons in her new book Actually, I Can: Growing Up with Type 1 Diabetes, A Story of Unexpected Empowerment, proving she indeed can do everything she dreams.
Morgan writes: “It has made me appreciate every hour, every minute, and every second I stand on this Earth. But the truth is everyone should live this way, because you don’t know if you’ll receive life-changing news tomorrow, and you don’t know if today is your last day. Everyone has obstacles in their lives; it’s just the way life is. But you don’t have to sit there and let them beat you down. Defeat them. Strength is a choice, and if you tell yourself you can get through whatever you’re battling, then you can.”
From her diagnosis at six years old with the autoimmune disease through all of the challenges battling it, and everything she and her parents have learned, Morgan’s goal is to help other families and children facing type 1, and to show everyone it can be viewed as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
Robin Roberts, co-Anchor Good Morning America, says: “An inspiring young woman whose insight into her type 1 diabetes will help others, and their families, to confront the vulnerabilities of the disease. Readers will learn from Morgan how to manage these issues with composure and strength.”
Emmy-award winning medical correspondent and senior health editor for NBC, Dr. Max Gomez, explains: “What I took away from Actually, I Can was not the charmed life, meeting celebrities and traveling the world. It was that after confronting the awfulness of her diagnosis, Morgan was able to face her disease and take control of it, including the difficult, painful ups and downs.”
Founder of diaTribe.org Kelly L. Close reviews: “This is a story about family, faith, and friendships, and includes remarkable encounters with politicians, pop stars, and even the Pope. Every teenager with diabetes should read this book. So, too, should their parents and their health care providers as well. A triumph.”
“Morgan has an authentic voice in the diabetes patient perspective. She unabashedly stares down and addresses the unrelenting challenges one faces in diabetes diagnosis and management, sans sugarcoating. Accompanied by gritty optimism, her impressive insight on progressing diabetes research, emerging tech and medications will impress readers with a resilient hope that a fulfilled and healthy life is possible,” responds Gary Hall, Jr., first Olympian/Gold Medalist with type 1 diabetes.
About the author: A member of the Villanova University Equestrian Team and a biology major planning to attend medical school for pediatric endocrinology, Morgan Panzirer has traveled the world discussing her disease, including a trip to Rome to meet with the Pope. Morgan is available as a keynote speaker and media presenter with invaluable information on type 1 diabetes, self-care and perseverance -speaking to groups and offering copies of Actually, I Can for the audience.
Hi!
I live near Villanova in Newtown Square. We are very involved in JDRF because my husband was diagnosed in 1987 at the age of 17 and the oldest of our three children, Libby, was diagnosed on July 19, 2005 at the age of 25 months. She is a senior at Agnes Irwin right down Ithan Ave from you! I am at a JDRF event now and a woman just told me about you! I’d love to meet you sometime! I promise I’m not a creeper- ha! You can look at my website to see that I am a normal mom lisilerch@gmail.com
Hope to hear from you soon!