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Parkland Middle-School Resident Jack Rostock Thrives Despite Diabetes Diagnosis

by Matt Rothman December 21, 2021

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Parkland's Own Jack Rostock Succeeding Despite T1D Diagnosis

Scott and Jack Rostock.

By: Matt Rothman

By all appearances, Jack Rostock is a normal, healthy, and active 13-year-old.

But appearances don’t tell the whole story.

Rostock lives with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and is insulin-dependent after being diagnosed in 2013 just weeks before kindergarten.

He refuses to let T1D slow him down.

After playing on the Parkland Pokers’ travel baseball team for seven years, he is now the starting third baseman and a pitcher for the 14U team.

His coaches and teammates are extraordinarily supportive, reminding him of when he needs juice or insulin at practice or during a game.

An Honor Roll student at Westglades Middle School, Rostock excels in the classroom and takes multiple high school level classes.

T1D does not come without its challenges and completely changed his life. Rostock had to check his blood sugar with finger pricks and administer insulin with needles for the first few years.

After better technology, Rostock now monitors his blood sugar and administers insulin electronically with a continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump.

Jack Rostock.

“Managing my diabetes never stops, day or night, but I don’t let it control my life,” Rostock said. “I just have to work harder at school and on the baseball field. You can’t let diabetes stop you from living your life and following your dreams.”

Along with his parents, Scott and Jennifer, and family, who have lived in Heron Bay for the past 11 years, they started The Jack Pack, a fundraising team for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) annual One Walk held across the country.

The Jack Pack has raised more than $70,000 from the past seven walks and hopes to raise $10,000 more this year for the JDRF One Walk, held on April 9, 2022, at Nova Southeastern University.

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Author Profile

Matt Rothman

Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.