On Wednesday night, May 26, Crystal Bowersox will find out if she is the next American Idol. Bowersox, who has Type 1 diabetes, has outlasted all of the other contestants except Chicago paint salesman Lee DeWyze to make it to the finals of Season 9 of the competition.
Earlier in the season she was rushed to the hospital with a case of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA occurs when blood sugar levels run extremely high and the body releases acidic ketones into the blood as a byproduct of burning fat stores for energy.
Bowersox recently spoke with Bill Keveney of USA Today about her diabetes and what it would mean for her to win. She says she wants to give a lot of money to charities and to start her own foundation for Type 1 diabetes. Unlike other charities which focus on finding a cure, Bowersox says her charity would focus on taking care of issues now. “My goal is to set up something where there can be screening clinics where once you have the diagnosis, they can treat the problem and pharmaceutical companies can donate medicine and supplies,” she told USA Today.
Bowersox, who at points in her life had to beg outside pharmacies for insulin, says she wants to help others avoid situations like that.
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