‘It’s Bigger Than Me’: Diabetes Warrior’s Empowering Story of Resilience

Photo Courtesy of Tiana Cooks In the realm of advocacy, Tiana Cooks stands as a formidable force, passionately championing causes that have touched her life in profound ways. While her advocacy journey may be a testament to her present commitment, it traces back to a pivotal moment in her teenage years when she advocated for her own health. Diagnosis at 17 Cook’s journey with diabetes began during her senior year of high school when she began experiencing unexplained weight loss, fatigue, extreme thirst, and blurry vision. At the time, Cooks was committing to her goal of making her senior year her best year yet. “I was able to join my school’s track team. I was on the student council and all of that great stuff and then I one day noticed that I was losing a lot of weight – I think I lost like 15 pounds in less than three weeks,” Cooks recalls. “I was really tired and extremely thirsty and fatigued all the time and I just remember telling myself something’s not right.” Concerned, Cooks went to her mom who took her to the doctor to get checked out.  “I went to my mom and told her I’m...