By: Kelly Rouba

Chris Dudley was only a sophomore in high school when he received some news from his doctor that would change his life forever. Dudley, who had been experiencing fatigue and extreme thirst, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1981—a disease that is caused when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels.

Dudley said his father suspected he might have diabetes and was the one who had him get tested. “My dad’s brother—my uncle—had diabetes, so I was fortunate in that my dad was suspicious to check for that,” Dudley said, adding, “He went to the local pharmacy and got what, at the time, was a way of testing for blood sugar.”

After the test showed that his blood sugars were high, Dudley’s father took him right to the hospital. Upon being diagnosed with diabetes, “I was upset, confused, just didn’t know what it meant, and scared,” Dudley recalls. “I didn’t know much about it, (except that) there was and are some very drastic long-term complications.”

Unsure of what life had in store for him, Dudley turned to his doctor with a few questions. “The first two questions were, ‘Am I going to live?’…and the second one was ‘Am I going to be able to play sports?’ because sports was my passion at the time.”

To his relief, Dudley’s doctor responded “yes” on both accounts, but there was a catch. “(He said this came) with the provision that you take care of yourself—that you now have a disease that you’re going to have to manage 24/7 for the rest of your life. But if you do that, you can do whatever it is you want to do,” Dudley recalls. “(I realized) that if I did take care of it that I could continue to play sports and do whatever else I wanted to do and that was huge for me.”

At that time in his life, Dudley was on the high school basketball team and had dreams of playing professionally someday. “Basketball really was my passion,” he said.

It was this passion for basketball that helped Dudley overcome his fears and the resentment he felt over having diabetes. “I actually think basketball was really helpful in that. (My attitude) changed initially from the ‘Why me?’ (and) being extremely scared to the ‘Okay, I can deal with this, and if I do take care of it, I’m not going to let it stop me.’ So it became one of ‘It’s not going to stop me; it’s not going to prevent me from achieving my dreams.’”

Dudley’s determination earned him a spot with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1987. He was the first type 1 diabetic to play basketball professionally. Dudley soon developed a reputation as one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the league, and ultimately spent a total of 16 seasons in the NBA on a number of teams, from the Phoenix Suns to the New York Knicks.

“I think I was helped early on by the doctors telling me that I could continue to play and just being encouraged by others—my parents or whoever else—that if you take care of yourself, (the diabetes) doesn’t have to stop you from achieving your dreams. And having that hope and having that dream really, I think, helped me,” Dudley said, adding, “I had the dream of playing in the NBA and playing professional basketball and to do that, I knew I would have to take care of myself. And I think having that dream, having that goal, and really being focused on it…really was a big motivation in my attitude and my ability to deal with the diabetes.”

Dudley does admit that managing his condition could be trying at times. “I did have my ups and downs. It was definitely not easy, especially in college. College can be a crazy time—playing a sport, your body’s changing, you’re not always eating the way you should, it’s not always the best lifestyle—so college was not always easy.”

“When I got into the pros, I was able to settle into more of a routine and it became better. It certainly is not an easy disease to deal with and it can be very frustrating because there are so many factors that could affect your blood sugar. For myself and a lot of others, it can be very frustrating.”

Recognizing this and wanting to help educate others so they could better cope with the disease, Dudley and his wife Chris Love-Dudley decided to start the Chris Dudley Foundation in 1993.

“The impetus for the foundation, we say, is for the here and now,” Dudley said. “The idea is that while we all want a cure and we’re all hoping for a cure and hope it comes soon, we also have to help people live with the disease now.”

Those with diabetes can learn more about the foundation by visiting www.chrisdudley.org. Dudley said the website was created as an information resource and as a way for individuals with diabetes and their families to network. The foundation has also offered a number of educational clinics across the country over the years, and they even run a weeklong basketball camp for diabetic youth each August.

“It’s exceeded my wildest dreams in how successful and how impactful it has been for kids with diabetes. It really has been great,” Dudley said of the camp, which is held in Oregon.

According to Dudley, the camp has been in existence for about 15 years. While there, youth not only play basketball and partake in other fun activities, but they also share their feelings about life with diabetes and learn techniques to get through the rough times.

“That’s something that we emphasize at the camp in talking to kids is everybody goes through that and don’t get down on yourself if you do go through tough times. It happens to everybody,” Dudley said, adding, “The idea that you never get a break (from managing diabetes) can be very tough. I talk with kids who just want to take time off. They just don’t want to deal with it. Of course, that doesn’t work well; they’ll wind up with problems quickly.”

“It’s also difficult being different or having something different going on that other kids don’t face. At younger ages, it can be very hard to be ‘different.’ That’s what’s been a huge benefit of our camp is getting kids (to attend) from around the country—all who are dealing with the same issues. A lot of times these kids might be the only one in their town or school who has diabetes or, if there is somebody else, they may have nothing in common with that other person. Here, they all share having diabetes and they all share a love for sports or at least like being active, and they usually have a lot in common and they stay in contact throughout the year and they realize they are not alone.”

At the camp, “kids really see that there are thousands and thousands of kids who are dealing with the same issues. It’s helpful to them to know they’re not alone. I think sometimes that’s the hardest part, especially when you’re younger,” Dudley said, adding, “Not knowing anybody else who is dealing with the same issues can be difficult. And then when you realize other people are also having to deal with it—especially when you find out other people are being successful in dealing with it—I think can be enlightening and can be really helpful.”

Boys and girls between the ages of 10 through 17 who are interested in attending the camp can register now on Dudley’s website. “It’s a big deal to be a part of it. It’s cool to be there,” Dudley said, noting that the camp setting makes it a fun place to meet others with diabetes. “Whereas, I think it’s difficult if your parents are dragging you to meet some other kids in the wing of a hospital.”

Those who are not quite old enough to attend the camp but would still like to learn more about coping with diabetes—or any health condition for that matter—might want to check out the book Dudley and his wife wrote called Chris Dreams BIG.

“It’s (about) overcoming adversity. It’s loosely based on my story. It’s not exact, but it’s about a kid who loves basketball who gets diagnosed with diabetes, and he’s not sure if he wants to keep playing or not or what he should do. And on the team he’s on, there’s somebody who has asthma, somebody who’s hearing impaired, and there’s somebody else whose sister is in a wheelchair, and it talks about how they’re all continuing on and overcoming and don’t let it stop you.”

While he tries to encourage others to pursue their dreams and to remain upbeat, Dudley recognizes it is not always easy when you’re dealing with a serious illness. “I don’t want to make light of the issues either. It’s totally natural for people to have those emotions of bitterness or the down part of it. Everybody’s had that,” he said, adding, “I think you’ve just got to find what helps you deal with it and go forward.”

Still, Dudley admits there are days when he asks himself, “Why do I have this?” or “Why do I have to deal with this?” As he likes to tell the children at the camp, “If you feel those (emotions), don’t feel self-conscious for having those (feelings) or bad for having some of those emotions. It’s totally natural.”

“Those emotions…are normal for everybody. To be scared, to be bitter, the ‘Why me?’ is completely normal…and I think everybody goes through it.”

However, Dudley says it’s important to try to move forward by making the best of your situation and by setting goals yourself. “There’s a lot worse situations that are out there…count your blessings and be happy for the positives you do have, and go forward and take advantage of those,” he said, adding, “You also (must) realize that being bitter or dwelling on the negative doesn’t help anything.”

Plus, “I do really think having a goal or having a dream is helpful for everybody in having another focus rather than just ‘Why me?’ (Diabetes) is just one more step in the way that I have to overcome to achieve this dream and I can achieve it, and if you’re focused on that dream, I think it really helps.”

And right now, Dudley has a few goals and dreams of his own. Through the foundation, his goal is to release a DVD for children with diabetes and those who interact with them, including their parents, teachers, coaches, and even their friends’ parents.

“(The DVD) just gives some basic understanding of what diabetes is,” Dudley said, noting that its intent is also to put people at ease when interacting with someone who has diabetes because some individuals are reluctant to include those with diabetes in activities or unsure of what the person’s condition entails. He hopes the DVD will be available on his website this spring.

Aside from working on the DVD, Dudley is also busy running for Governor of Oregon. “I love Oregon. It’s a great state,” Dudley said. If elected as Governor, “I’ll be very aware of healthcare and especially healthcare for kids.”

Over the years, Dudley’s concern for the health and well being of others has earned him a number of accolades, including the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 1996 and the USA Today Most Caring Athlete Award in 1997.

Dudley credits his battle with diabetes as a driving force in his life. “You can’t help but wonder what type of player I would have been if I didn’t have diabetes,” he remarked. “Would it have helped me? Because there were definitely times when it was a struggle. And so you do wonder about that. But, on the other hand, I think the blessing of diabetes is the discipline it gave me and the help there. So, it’s really in the motivation to succeed.”