Calessa was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on December 26, 2000 at age 7. This changed her life, but with the support of her family and medical advances like insulin pumps, she is able to live a full life and do all the activities other kids do. She manages her diabetes day by day with blood sugar testing and insulin. Calessa hopes that with more donations for research, a cure can be found so that no other children have to live with this disease.