Why Me? Why Did I Have to Get Diabetes?

An unlikely interaction between two third-graders helps them both come to terms with the feelings they have about having diabetes. "Why Me? Why Did I Have to Get Diabetes?" deals with the guilt and other emotions that often accompany chronic illnesses in a way that children can understand. It reinforces self-esteem, and it helps children to understand that it is not their illness that defines them, but instead who they are and what they do.

Robert Messinger (Lake Hiawatha, NJ) is a former ad executive who is also the author of "I've Got Mail!" and the editor of "Freddie Q. Freckle." Robert was the founding editor of American Movie Classics Magazine. He holds a B.A. in journalism from Point Park University in Pittsburgh.

Laura Messinger (Lake Hiawatha, NJ) is a student at Knollwood Elementary School. Laura set the project in motion for "Why Me Why Did I Have To Get Diabetes?" when she questioned why she couldn't find any books on how it feels to have diabetes. A diabetic since the age of three, she is an aspiring actress, a ballet and piano student and a movie fanatic and an animal lover.