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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2024

Olympic athletes, mountain climbers, famous actors, scientists, and now,
EVEN SUPERHEROES GET DIABETES.

Diabetes is a serious disease that is striking hard at 21 million people in the US. It knows no professional boundaries… just ask Olympic athlete Kris Freeman, mountain climber Greg Cummings, actress Halle Berry or, if you could, scientist Thomas Edison.

Diabetes also knows no age boundaries… it can strike at any age.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research foundation states that over 13,000 children per year are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, as early as infancy. Type 1 diabetics are insulin dependent for life.

And, while type 2 diabetes has been called adult onset, cases among children and teens are disturbingly on the rise. Doctor's are now seeing patients with type 2 as young as nine years old.

Diabetes is especially hard on kids. Aside from the emotional implications, an early diagnosis in children means that complications that can occur -- such as heart and kidney problems, blindness, and nerve damage -- may occur sooner than with an adult diagnosis of the disease.

How can parents of diabetic children allay their own fears about this threatening disease and transfer a message of hope and strength to their children, in the face of this illness?

Sue Ganz-Schmitt hopes that her new book EVEN SUPERHEROES GET DIABETES will help.

"When my daughter's close playmate, Kaden Kessel ("K.K."), was diagnosed with diabetes they were both just three years old. I searched for a children's book about diabetes. I wanted my daughter and his other friends to have an understanding of what he was going through. I found a number of comforting books about diabetes, but none that matched the path of empowerment that I saw his parents taking him toward. So, I sat down and wrote the book that I couldn't find."

EVEN SUPERHEROES GET DIABETES focuses on the gift within the illness. It is the story of a boy named Kelvin who loves Superheroes. His childhood days are spent in imaginative play--saving the day. One day, his fantasies are marred by the reality of getting diabetes… the incessant finger pricks, shots, and the constant doctor's appointments. When a mysterious doctor uncovers that Kelvin has superpowers, the story reveals itself as the genesis of a new kind of superhero. Kelvin is monikered 'Super K' and uses his superpowers to help other kids with diabetes.

Says Sue Ganz-Schmit, "The discovery of Super K's superpowers is akin to the discovery of one's inner strength in the face of adversity -- in the face of illness."

Ironically, Sue was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's) while writing this book. Some days, she had to search for her own 'superpowers' to find the energy to write.

The comic book style illustrations by Micah Chambers-Goldberg beautifully connect children and parents to the world of diabetes. The book includes a kid friendly diagram that explains type 1 diabetes, and definitions that discuss both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Sue Ganz-Schmitt is a writer and a mother of two super-girls. She lives with her girls and husband Martin in a mountain community in Los Angeles. She is passionately involved in projects that support mothers in developing nations, orphans, and organizations working toward a cure of childhood illnesses like diabetes and leukemia.

One third of proceeds from the sale of the book will go to support diabetes related organizations and causes.

EVEN SUPERHEROES GET DIABETES is available now on the author's website www.evensuperheroes.com, on Amazon.com and from other retailers.