Eight-year-old Jack Stuart is an impressive ambassador. On a first meeting, he looks you in the eye and greets you with a firm handshake. He has manners that would be the envy of any diplomat. And although he’s still too young to represent his country abroad, he’s doing a terrific job as the front man for the Telus Walk to Cure Diabetes, which will take place on Sunday morning (May 31) at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby.

Stuart, who is this year’s ambassador for the annual fundraising walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of five. During a recent interview with the Georgia Straight, he said he was on a visit to Scottsdale, Arizona, with his family when he developed large bumps on his arm. Stuart added that he was also drinking a lot of water, which is a sign of the disease. Other possible indicators are frequent urination, sudden vision changes, laboured breathing, and increased appetite.

“I was hot,” Stuart recalled while sitting in the kitchen of his North Vancouver home. “I went to the hospital and they gave me needles.”

If his blood-sugar levels rise too high, he takes water and might have an injection of insulin. If levels fall too low, he must consume sugar quickly or he could risk drifting into a coma. “I get a juice box, and I drink that juice,” Stuart said assertively. “Juice works faster than food—juice first, then food.”

He was remarkably upbeat and articulate as he described the symptoms of his disease. When asked about his school mark in science, he responded that he got an A.

Stuart’s problem is with his pancreas. A healthy pancreas produces beta cells, which release a hormone called insulin. It absorbs blood sugar and converts it into energy. People with Type 1 diabetes aren’t able to produce insulin naturally. To survive, they must receive this hormone either through regular injections or via an automatic pump. Otherwise, blood-sugar levels will increase sharply, turning their blood into a molasseslike liquid that can damage internal organs.

Over the long term, sustained high blood-sugar levels can eventually lead to catastrophic consequences, such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and amputations. This is why it’s so important for diabetics to maintain proper blood-sugar levels. If they fall too low—possibly as a result of taking too much insulin—that could cause a person to end up in a potentially fatal coma.

Stuart takes insulin injections three or four times a day. “The toughest part is probably not having food when you want it,” he said. That’s because he must time his meals to maintain appropriate blood-sugar levels.

Stuart’s father, Craig, acknowledged with a smile that the family keeps secret stashes of goodies. And the boy’s mother, Jacqueline, told the Straight that her son’s friends try to ensure that he’s not gobbling too many sweets—and they’ll rat him out when necessary. Sister Alexandra noted that her brother is normal except when it comes to his diet.

But his normality hasn’t inhibited the Stuart family’s desire to help fund a cure. Craig told the Straight that the first year after their son’s diagnosis four of them participated as a family team in the annual JDRF walk. The second year, there were five. “I remember when we were coming home that day,” Craig recalled. “Jack said to me, ”˜You know, Dad, we can do better.’ ”

He asked his son to elaborate. The boy replied that he thought they should raise $5,000. Then Craig asked if his son thought it would be better to have 50 people each raising $100, or 100 people each raising $50. At the time, the boy replied, “I think more is better.”

So they created a team called the Jack of Hearts, and last year it raised a whopping $12,000. This year, Stuart proudly predicted that his team will raise $15,000. If you want to be part of the Jack of Hearts and join him on the Telus Walk to Cure Diabetes, you can visit his Web site.