Splash photo by Tammy Kimberley Eight-year-old Kody Vaughn shows off his goal of raising $3,000 for Walk to Cure Diabetes which will take place in downtown Spokane later this month. His team ‘Kody’s Kommandos’ raised more than $1,100 for diabetes research last year. More News Greenstone Development continues NOLL K9 Unit Joins LLPD Front Line Goodbye 2025, Welcome 2026 Eat, Shop, and Be Merry Liberty Lake Leads in Manufacturing Innovation 2025 Election Liberty Lake 1st Lego League Back to School Winterglow a No Go 2025 Yard Sale Interactive Map Scroll Down to see and enlarge map 2025 Yard Sale Guide It's time to find some treasures during the 31st Annual Liberty Lake Community Yard Sale!

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Kid uses positivity to deal with disease
9/8/2010 9:39:02 AM

By Tammy Kimberley
Splash Staff Writer

Profiles:
Kody Vaughn

Most people have signs when their bodies are not working properly. Kody Vaughn did not.

During a routine doctor's visit a year and a half ago, Vaughn was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. He was scared at first, his mom Carla Vaughn said, but then his positive personality took over.

"When he started figuring it out in the hospital, he looked at his doctor and said, ‘This is my life. Let's find a cure,'" she said.

Since that time, Carla Vaughn said her 8-year-old son rarely complains or gets upset over the daily routine that accompanies a person living with diabetes. He is learning how to manage all aspects of his care, including reading nutritional labels, counting carbohydrates, managing his insulin pump and getting up in the middle of each night to test his blood sugar levels.

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But he isn't content to just keep all he's learned about diabetes to himself. Vaughn shared about what it's like to live with diabetes at an all-school assembly at Liberty Lake Elementary School earlier this year and recently spoke at a luncheon for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

The Splash sat down with this Liberty Lake kid last week to learn what it's like to live with diabetes and how he is doing his part to raise awareness of the disease, as well as funds to research a cure.

Q: What went through your mind when you found out you had Type 1 diabetes?

A: I thought that I had something where I could die. I was really scared of what would happen. But I had great support from my (hospital) roommate and my family and the nurses.

Q: What did you have to learn while you were in the hospital?

A: I had to learn about insulin and blood sugar and carbs and what to do to keep myself on a healthy diet. I also had to learn how to give shots.

Q: Have you met other kids with diabetes since you were diagnosed?

A: When I first was diagnosed, I met Sara (Grozdanich, a Liberty Lake resident). She showed me how to give shots and gave me tips on keeping myself healthy.

I went to Camp Stix this summer, a camp with lots of kids and counselors who have diabetes. We did basketball and swimming and canoeing. They had special guests with diabetes who came and spoke. I learned how to juggle, and I learned how to do my own site (where insulin is administered into the body) at camp.

A: When I'm low, I get juice. When I'm high, I exercise or get insulin. Every three months I have to go to the doctor.

Each day I test my blood, count the carbs in the food I eat, take insulin, keep a healthy diet and have fun. You have to have fun. Otherwise, you're not going to keep healthy.

Q: What is the hardest thing for people to understand about Type 1 diabetes?

A: It's hard for my friends to understand that they can't eat my lunch, and I can't take stuff from their lunches.

Q: In what ways has having diabetes changed your life?

A: I can do all the same things. I just have to stay healthy.

Q: I understand you've spoken at the JDRF kickoff luncheon. Tell me more about that.

A: There were business people, walk families and other kids with diabetes there, mainly people who want to help. I spoke with a group of people about the routine of a person with diabetes.

Q: Are you involved at all with Bailey's Brigade next weekend?

A: We'll go and support it. We all work together to raise funds for JDRF to find a cure.

Q: What was it like when you did the Walk to Cure Diabetes last year?

A: We had 36 people last year who walked with my team, "Kody's Kommandos." Our shirts were green and had army guys on the front. We raised $1,170 last year.

Q: What are your plans for this year's walk?

A: We have the same team, same color, same name. We're trying to recruit more people. Just today, a person gave us $100 for the walk. The goal for this year is to raise $3,000.

Q: What are you most looking forward to at the walk?

A: You get to walk, and then you get to play and eat. They have jumping castles there and a band always plays. It's a really fun thing to do.

Profiles:
Kody Vaughn

Age
8

Family
Parents, Kevin and Carla; two brothers

Pets
Dog, cat, two birds

School
Third grade at Liberty Lake Elementary

Hobbies
Legos, videogames and sports

Favorite videogame
Dragon Ball Z

Superhero ability I wish I had
Fire power