This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 4 years old. I am 14 years old now. I don't remember a time when I didn't have diabetes.

I have always counted the carbohydrates I eat. I have always had to inject myself with insulin at every meal. I've had high blood sugars, low blood sugars and sleepless nights. I have been hospitalized. I have worried my parents endlessly. But, I have never let this disease stop me.

This past July, I participated in a 235-mile, one-day bicycle ride that took me from Camp Joslin in Worchester, Mass., to Camp Nejada near Stillwater, N.J. I rode with a group of cyclists that either had Type 1 diabetes or a very close connection. If I learned anything, it is this: I can do hard things.

With each new day, I don't look at it as another day with diabetes, I look at it as is a day closer to a cure. Until then, I will do my best to increase awareness for National Diabetes Month and raise money for research to find a cure.

Ethan Erickson

Salt Lake City