Jasmine Millwood
Diabetes Background
Due to high statistics and because Type 2 Diabetes
is in most cases inherited, I am unfortunately forced to live with
the fear and face the risk of developing the disease. Because of
the alarming high amount of relatives who have it in my family, it
is nearly inevitable that I will be forced to deal with this disease
either during pregnancy, which is very common, or perhaps later in
life with a more serious case. This disease has consumed most of
my relatives lives and it has become heart rendering to watch so
many of them suffer from the conditions and lifestyle that are generated
by it. I also was forced to say goodbye to my late Grandfather who
was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 2004. The number one cause
of this 99% mortality-rated cancer is in fact Diabetes. One diagnosed
with this is given on average longevity of 3-5 months.
Due to my unusual childhood and certain circumstances I was unable
to establish a relationship with my grandfather as a child and was
just beginning to develop a close bond with him and make memories
I should have made years ago. After he was diagnosed I was devastated
and have made it a mission to do everything in my power to take precautions
towards preventing diabetes and advocating for the awareness of this
syndrome that is so widespread and destructive.
Jasmine Millwood
Miss Plymouth
USA
Outstanding Young Person of the Year
Spokesperson, Orchards Children's Services
Advocate, Prevent Child Abuse of America & Children’s
Charter of Michigan
Jasmine began her journey in the social service
system when she was ten months old. She bounced around to over
30 placements all before the age of 8. She stayed in some places
only a day, some months, one a year. Jasmine has two sisters,
a twin sister and an older sister, whom sometimes she stayed with,
sometimes was separated from. Her mother’s parental rights were
eventually terminated by the State of Michigan. She then entered
in her biological father’s and the then-at-the-time stepmother’s
care and was brutally abused, neglected, starved, tortured and
tormented for two years straight. Jasmine’s child abuse case was
classified as one of the worst in Michigan’s history. Immediately
following the removal Jasmine was placed back into foster care
where she was finally adopted by her biological uncle when she
was 13.
Jasmine decided not to let her past be an excuse
and to rid the label that comes with foster care and abused children.
She graduated from high school at the top of her class with honors,
as a member of National Honor Society, on varsity swimming and gymnastics
and completed over 200 hours of community service in her senior year
alone. She studies in hope to someday become a licensed orthodontist
after her completion of dental school. After her competition in the
2008 Miss Michigan USA pageant, Jasmine decided how important it was
to use her past as a tool to help prevent and stop child abuse and
improve our flawed foster care system. Jasmine also speaks out about
her abuse, not only to organizations affected by child abuse and neglect
and foster care, but also to schools, councils and legislators.
