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This Little Piggy Research Paper

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This Little Piggy “This little piggy went to the market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home.” Many children across the United States grow up only having to worry about how hard their little toes might get pulled during this nursery rhyme. When another 18 million children in the United States grow up having to learn about their autoimmune disease called Type 1 Diabetes (Marcothy). Type 1 Diabetes is formerly called Juvenile Diabetes and is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. Those with Type 1 are insulin-dependent and must have it to survive. This is caused because the pancreas no longer produces insulin, a hormone that …show more content…

Massimo Trucco of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, reported that transferring islet cells from a pig's pancreas into a human could be a cure for this disease (Mark Roth). In New Richmond, Wisconsin, a dynasty of pathogen-free pigs are being raised in a cinderblock bubble style building. These pigs are bred to generate an unusually large number of insulin producing islet cells that will eventually be a cure for diabetes (Marcothy). These cells can be replaced in a human from a pig's pancreas and supply an almost limitless supply of insulin. This limits the need for insulin …show more content…

Grayson must inject insulin regularly and is considered insulin dependent. Every time he eats or drinks carbohydrates he must inject insulin into his body via syringe or pen needles. He also spends lots of time checking his blood sugar by pricking his finger. This disease not only affects his insulin, but long-term mismanagement of diabetes can cause a whole host of complications and can affect everything from kidney and liver functions to eyesight and neuropathy. Type 1 also affects him emotionally and mentally. His way of life is different from other children his age. He struggles with anxiety of this disease but also realizes it is manageable only if he takes the steps to make it so, whereas other diseases do not allow for this chance at life. Grayson stays deep rooted in his faith and hopes that one day a pig can be a donor for not only himself, but all the other children fighting the same

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