Springdale boy is first pediatric patient to receive medicine that delays stage 3 diabetes
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — An 11-year-old Springdale resident is the first pediatric patient to receive a medication designed to delay the development of stage three diabetes.
It’s called Teplizumab, also known as Tzield, which can only be given to those with stage 2 of type 1 diabetes.
Before receiving it, Jesse White had to get his blood sugar levels checked with a finger-prick device four times a day, but now it’s only checked once a week or when symptomatic.
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White has a lot of energy and humor but, he wasn’t always this energetic.
Before receiving Tzield, he was very tired, depressed and sometimes anxious.
His mother, Marie White worked as a senior phlebotomist, collecting blood samples for patients in the intensive care unit and emergency room, and noticed something was wrong about two years ago.
“He was having a lot of trouble with headaches,” Marie said. “He was always thirsty. He would sweat a lot, got up five to seven times a night to go to the bathroom.”
Marie says he was institutionalized for suicidal ideation.
“He was put on medicine that raised his blood sugar and medicine for depression and anxiety,” Marie said.
The Whites struggled to find answers about what Jesse may be going through until they were referred to an endocrinologist in December 2023.
“I couldn’t get anybody to listen,” Marie said.
Jesse was diagnosed with stage 2 of type 1 diabetes on January 3.
“You have two antibodies that are positive but a slightly higher blood sugar than normal. So something that would be called pre-diabetes,” said Dr. Jon Oden, pediatric endocrinologist and section chief for Pediatric Endocrine at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Springdale and Little Rock campuses.
Oden says he has to apply for approval and coverage because Tzield is expensive.
Jesse was then given Tzield in 30-minute IV infusions across 14 days at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
“It allows us to delay, if you will, the onset of stage three diabetes, which is full blown kind of high blood sugars need for insulin,” Oden said.
When he began taking the medicine, Jesse was throwing up and turned pale.
Jesse says the medicine made him drowsy, so to help him feel better, he took naps.
“We found that if he gets an hour and a half to three hour nap during or just after Tzield, it helps so much with the symptoms between being itchy and tired and down-feeling. It helped a lot. We increased his water intake,” Marie said.
With the help of Oden and nursing staff, Jesse was successfully treated.
“He had a little bit of headache in the very beginning. But that’s not unusual, and he did great,” Oden said.
Marie says Jesse loved his visit at the hospital.
“He did not want to come home from Little Rock. He wanted to stay there indefinitely” Marie said.
Marie says she’s excited that he will not have to take any insulin or shots for the next eight years.
She says so far, he’s only had three high blood sugar levels since taking the medicine.
“He’s had a couple of lows with extreme exercise at school, but nothing not manageable,” Marie said.
Jesse encourages other kids who have diabetes to try Tzield.
“Because of how much it’s helped me and how much it’s helped other people in other states. If they have the same problems that I had to go through, then maybe they should try the Tzield to try and help get better,” Jesse said.
He suggests bringing something to distract you during the infusions and he reminds other Tzield patients that everything will be okay.
“You won’t have to go through this for a while. It’s really not that bad once you get used to it. It actually becomes something you get used to and things that you get used to aren’t all that scary,” Jesse said.
Oden hopes Tzield will be brought to Arkansas Children’s Northwest Hospital in Springdale.
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