November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, highlighting a chronic disease that can affect anyone — including San Diego State basketball star Miles Byrd.
Byrd is one of the top players in all of college basketball and could be a first-round NBA draft pick next summer. He's accomplishing all of this while keeping a close eye on his glucose levels thanks to a device he wears made by San Diego-based company Dexcom.
"If I might be a little high, maybe I'll shoot a little insulin in a timeout, help that come down. Or if I'm going a little low, take a fruit snack or a sip of Gatorade," Byrd said.
Byrd emerged as a force on both ends of the court for the San Diego State basketball team last season. But when he takes the court, Byrd has to worry about more than which play he's running or where he's supposed to be on defense.
Byrd is one of nearly 2 million Americans with Type 1 diabetes, meaning his body no longer produces the insulin he needs to convert sugar into energy. It's something he's had to live with since eighth grade.
"For maybe like a month's span, I was drinking so much water, and peeing a lot. I actually stubbed my toe running to the bathroom and broke two of my toes, and they tested my blood sugar, and found out that it was in the 400s, the 500s, and I had to go to the hospital right then and there," Byrd told ABC 10News.
To keep his blood sugar at proper levels, Byrd wears a device called a CGM, a continuous glucose monitor made by San Diego company Dexcom.
"I wear the Dexcom on my lower back. I have it on my phone, and then I just bring my phone out. I feel like a lot of people at games don't notice me with my phone in my hand when nobody else on my team has a phone out, and that's just because I have my Dexcom server connected to that," Byrd said.
Anne Santaro, a senior vice president with Dexcom, said managing diabetes presents unique challenges for competitive athletes.
"Managing diabetes is tough for anyone, and when you layer on being a competitive athlete, it's just even more so," Santaro said.
Santaro is a senior vice president with Dexcom. This season, they've teamed up with Byrd as part of Dexcom-U.
"It is the first and only NIL program dedicated to college athletes with diabetes," Santaro said.
Despite the daily challenges of managing his condition, Byrd remains focused on his basketball goals.
"I think we do a great job managing what needs to be managed and I don't let it really affect me on or off the court," Byrd said.
Santaro believes Byrd's story will resonate beyond the basketball court.
"I think he's going to inspire a lot of folks, not just local folks, but everyone with his story, and we can't wait to cheer him on this season," Santaro said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
