Photo courtesy of the Daily Emerald & Adam Eberhardt - Originally printed in article by Jack Butler
Originally Published by the Chris Dudley Foundation on November 7, 2017
As an Oregon Ducks football games plays on TV screens this Fall, a symbol familiar to many in our communities lights up the screen in a quick, but impactful, flash. The sideline camera pans across the back of the Oregon athletes and one is sporting a medical alert tattoo with a bright blue circle, the universal symbol for Diabetes.
The owner of the tattoo is none other than one of the Oregon Ducks Team Captains, #92, Henry Mondeaux. Mondeaux is a senior at the University of Oregon who plays defensive lineman, and has been thriving with Type 1 Diabetes since the age of 15. Mondeaux grew up as an active child in Portland, Oregon, participating in a number of sports, including basketball and football since the fifth grade. In high school, he emerged as a leader on the Jesuit football team in Portland, OR. Everything was going smoothly until Mondeaux fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and for the next week, learned what life would look like with new challenges. Mondeaux didn't let his diagnosis slow him down. With the support of his parents and coach, he was able to develop a care plan that allowed him to not only continue to play the sports he loves, but to excel at them.
Now that Mondeaux is out of the house and living at college, he continues to keep a close eye on his blood sugars, especially on game days. He notes that the night before a game day, he is careful to not go to bed with a high blood sugar, to avoid dehydration. Before a game, he checks often and manages a reliable schedule for meals. He also checks his blood sugar at half time of games, and any time he feels like he may be dropping low or riding high. Mondeaux explains that while T1D can be a challenge and requires a lot of meticulous time management, he does not feel that it has held him back in any way. He gives a shout out to his parents, who were his main support system while living at home, as well as to his younger sister, who also lives with T1D.
In his junior year at the U of O, Mondeaux was awarded with the Joe Schaffeld Trophy, given each year to the team's outstanding defensive lineman. This year, as a senior, he was voted Team Captain, alongside Royce Freeman, by his fellow teammates.
Mondeaux told the Chris Dudley Foundation that his dream is to continue to play football at a professional level. Mondeaux offers advice to newly diagnosed T1Ds, to learn as much as possible about diabetes, stating, "The more you understand, the more comfortable and accepting you are. "In an interview with Lilian Morrill, of www.goducks.com, Mondeaux speaks of his passion for being an example for kids living with T1D. "I try to play for all the kids that have it too, or have any health issues, to show them that they can do whatever they want." says Mondeaux. Mondeaux is a prime example of one of the Chris Dudley Foundation's mottos, truly living active with Diabetes!