Southwest High freshman’s paper may have helped save a life
Posted Monday, Jan. 11, 2010
By EVA-MARIE AYALA
FORT WORTH It was just another biology homework assignment for Johnny Trinh.
But for his teacher Lori Roque, the paper helped save her daughters life.
Because of Trinhs paper, the Southwest High School teacher learned that her daughter had juvenile diabetes and quickly got her medical attention that caught a life-threatening condition.
"You never know when something that seems so insignificant to you can change someone elses life," Roque said.
Trinh, a freshman, is in Roques pre-Advanced Placement biology class at Southwest. Before the winter break, students were to submit summaries of a disease that affects multiple organ systems in the body.
Trinh chose diabetes, a health condition that has affected his father and uncles. The 15-year-old said he waited until the last minute to do the assignment but was quickly able to find resources to finish it because of his familys experience.
"Its changed a lot of what my dad can eat," Trinh said.
During the break, Roque was reading Trinhs summary, which outlined some of the symptoms of both types of diabetes. The symptoms of type I, also known as juvenile diabetes, include fatigue, the need to use the bathroom frequently, being excessively thirsty and extreme hunger without gaining much weight. All these she had noticed in her 14-year-old daughter, Hope Escalante.
"Independently, none of them sent up a red flag," Roque said. "But when I read his paper and it listed them all together, it just clicked."
On Dec. 23, Hope saw her regular doctor, who confirmed she had type I diabetes. Her blood-sugar level topped 350 the normal range is about 70 to 120 and she had a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis, which can lead to coma or death. Doctors also worried that Hope was underweight, at 5 feet tall and nearly 80 pounds.
Hope was immediately taken to Cook Childrens Medical Center, where doctors worked to stabilize her.
Roque said she tries not to think about what could have happened if her daughter had not gotten help when she did. As Hope stabilized, a doctor joked that she owed Trinh a consultation fee.
"Then he stopped and looked at me straight and said, ‘No. Really, this was very serious, " Roque said. "It makes me so grateful."
Hope said her mom did her best to prepare her for what diabetes might mean, but she was a little scared when she had to be hospitalized.
"I was freaked out about having them take a lot of samples with the needles and give me more medicine with the needles," she said. "I dont like pain and needles. Then they said I have to take shots every day, and I just cried."
But Hope, an eighth-grader in Crowley, said shes adjusting and has learned that her life doesnt have to change too much. She checks her blood sugar first thing in the morning and gives herself a shot an average of four times a day. If she plans on exercising, she makes sure to eat beforehand so that her blood sugar doesnt drop too low.
She is grateful for Trinhs work.
"I just want to thank him and let him know it really made a difference," Hope said. "Im sure like every other person, it was just something the teacher assigns you and you have to do it to pass."
Trinh never expected his homework to have such an effect.
"I was surprised, but its good," he said. "And Im happy I got a good grade."
EVA-MARIE AYALA, 817-390-7700
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