Brooke Shields’ daughter Rowan recently spoke out about the terrifying complications she faced due to undiagnosed type 1 diabetes in 2018.
Rowan, now 21 and a college student, said she was just a freshman in high school when her health took an alarming turn. She recalled experiencing what she described as “red, blaring flags” of a lifelong autoimmune disease.
“First of all, I lost a lot of weight, very quickly,” Rowan said. People During an emotional interview with her famous mother and younger sister Grier, 18, on Friday. “But I was eating two meals a day every time. I was consuming so much food that I was losing weight even faster the more I ate.”
“Another thing is that I was constantly urinating,” he added. “And then I started losing my sight and I had a very serious infection in my toe.”
“So these are clear warning signs of undiagnosed type 1 diabetes.”
Brooke Shields’ daughter Rowan recently spoke out about the horrific complications she faced due to undiagnosed type 1 diabetes in 2018; (pictured in 2022)
“First of all, I lost a lot of weight, very quickly,” Rowan told People during an emotional interview with her famous mother and younger sister Grier, 18, on Friday; (pictured with Brooke in 2022)
Rowan was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes later that year and has been living with the disease ever since.
She has taken to Instagram to share her experience and frequently posts photos highlighting her Dexcom patch as a way to provide visibility and understanding about the condition.
“It was an adjustment,” Brooke told the outlet.
Brooke expressed how “helpless” she initially felt, but admired Rowan’s quick maturity and competence as he took control of his diabetes at just 14 years old, managing his insulin injections independently and growing rapidly in the process.
“There were times when I wished I had been diagnosed at age 5 because I knew what my life would be like without it,” Rowan said. “But even in the four years I’ve had it, there have already been so many advances in technology.”
Rowan explained that managing her diabetes is a constant responsibility, 24/7, with a pump and a Dexcom patch on her stomach that continuously monitor her glucose levels.
Although it is always on her mind, she only focuses on it when her blood sugar levels are off. For her, it is about facing the challenges and finding ways to manage the condition as part of her daily life.
“It’s a 24/7 job and I’m never off duty,” he said.
“Another thing is that you urinate constantly,” she added. “And then I started losing my sight and I had a very serious infection in my toe” (in the photo, May).
She has taken to Instagram to share her experience and frequently posts photos highlighting her Dexcom patch as a way to provide visibility and understanding of the condition.
Brooke expressed how “helpless” she felt at first, but admired Rowan’s quick maturity and competence as he took control of his diabetes at just 14 years old, managing his insulin injections independently and growing rapidly in the process; (Rowan, Brooke, and Grier in 2022)
“No matter what headache you have, you always find a way to solve it. It’s something I have and now it’s just a matter of controlling it.”
Brooke shared that it took Rowan a while to find his comfort level.
“She didn’t want to wear the monitor for a long time, and then the pricking of her fingers all day long started to bother her,” he said.
‘So by having the monitor on my phone (to monitor levels), I can now look it up on my phone so I don’t have to bother her.’