By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
For 11-year-old Tori Teesateskie, basketball is her passion. Recently, she paired her passion for hoops with a passion to help educate the Cherokee community about diabetes.
Tori Teesateskie speaks at a Diabetes Day during home games for the Cherokee Travel League. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Brown)
“I have a lot of family members that have diabetes,” she said. “I wanted to learn more about diabetes and educate my peers about the disease.”
Teesateskie has been playing basketball since she was five, and now plays year-round on various teams. Currently, she is playing on the Cherokee Travel League team.
She recently held a Diabetes Day at one of her home games. Coordinating with the Cherokee Diabetes Program, Teesateskie, an EBCI tribal member, helped organize the event in which educational information was distributed to the crowd and over 40 people had their blood sugars checked by medical professionals.
“When I met Tori, I was so impressed with her desire to make a difference in her community,” said Jennifer Brown, Cherokee Diabetes Program. “Although she did not know a lot about diabetes, she knew how much people in her community were suffering from the disease and wanted to do something about it.”
“As a health professional, we work diligently everyday to educate people about diabetes and know that our impact can only go so far,” said Brown. “By teaming up with youth like Tori, who is motivated to educate her peers that they can prevent this disease by the choices they make, our message is amplified and the whole community benefits.”
Teesateskie encourages everyone to get a lot of exercise, eat right and not have too much stress.
For more information on diabetes, contact the Cherokee Diabetes Program 497-1995.
