I was 5 when I was diagnosed with diabetes. Being the only diabetic in my family, the learning curve was steep. With the help of an amazing medical team, my family figured out how to manage the around-the-clock demands of an auto-immune disease. We developed a tightly monitored system involving constant finger pokes, multiple check-ins with the school nurse each day, and carrying a JDRF backpack full of set change materials wherever we went.
Alexandra Park is an actress, writer, and producer best known for her role on The Royals and the Australian series Home and Away. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and dog.
My diabetes diagnosis could not have come at a worse time. It was two months before I was set to leave Australia to move to Los Angeles. My doctors advised me to cancel the move, but I was determined and moved to LA as planned. Shortly after, I accepted the role of Princess Eleanor for the TV series The Royals and I was off to London for filming.
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